Saria's Desires
by Alex Warlorn
Summary: This takes place in the time line after Ganon's defeat. Link visits Kokkiri Village and Saria, but this awakens emotion within the green haired girl the forest child didn't even know existed. Final summary now up.
1. Hello and Goodbye

zelda.html Chapter one: A hello and a good-bye. 

Deep within the Lost Woods of Kokiri Forest, Saria opened her eyes as the first specks of morning light invaded the ancient temple's courtyard. With it came a song akin to the falling of rain drops that she knew heart and soul. Though it almost never rained in the forest, a mist always had covered the woods somewhere akin to a after shower fog. Today it seemed to retreat from the seemingly forever-standing stone platform which bared the swirling mark of the Forest Temple in the heart of the court yard.   
On that same piece of stone laying before the temple's destroyed steps, the music filling the air seemed to condense and solidify until it formed into two teenage Hylians, Link, and Princess Zelda. A number of people were not with them. Lord Darunia had returned to oversee the repair to his Goron City following another earth quake in the rock men's capital city. And Princess Ruto had been gone too long from Zora's watery domain, and though she did not admit it, she missed her father dearly. As for Nabooru, 'Gerudo come and go as they please' was a saying among the amazon thieves of the desert.   
Zelda had decided against wearing her royal clothes to these mystic woods, instead she had on her Order of the Sheikah uniform she had worn during the War of Imprisonment minus her turban so her gold hair flowed freely behind her back. Saria was as clean as she ever got, with grass stains on grass stains along her belt, green long sleeved shirt and dark green shorts, a befitting companion to her blue eyes and plant green hair. Link's hiking outfit was cleaner than it had been in a long time thanks to Hyrule Castle's royal garment cleaners.   
Ganon was trapped in his Dark World. Hyrule was safe. But no one would have been able to tell this from the expression on Link's face. His face wasn't the least bit sad, but it wasn't very joyful either. It just seemed tired. Not tired physically, for he had had a good night's sleep before setting out. It seems Link was just pushing himself spiritually to go on. In contrast Zelda seemed as strong as ever, and just as mysterious in those scarlet eyes.   
The music faded away as Link put his wooden ocarina back in his pouch.   
Saria had waited at the temple's courtyard all night awaiting the pair's arival, but when Saria's eyes met Link's neither said a word as if each had formed a silent agreement to keep their exchange of words down to a minamul.   
Zelda decided it good manners to repect this decision between the two.   
The trio walked though the narrow entrance to the temple courtyard, out past the clearing it was based in and into the Lost Woods and its ever-confusing pathways, but Link and Saria had been though these woods many times and soon entered Kokiri Village. They hadn't taken the main forest entrance because Link didn't want the forest children who had raised him, to have false hopes. Zelda had never grown tired of looking upon the innocent village with the ever changing light coming through the tree tops and the great fireflies flying through the air, but this time they were here on serious business. Sneaking past the Kokiri tree craved houses, they entered the Great Deku Tree's meadow, looking upon the Deku Sprout in front of the remains of the first Deku Tree who even in death was a brilliant symbol of wisdom and kindness. What Link -or was it Saria- had come for however was behind the Deku Tree, Mido's grave.   
After a rude comment from another Kokiri that Mido was just a bully and a coward and his empty position as Kokiri leader was a joke, Mido set out prove him wrong by entering the least gone to part of Lost Woods, another secret reason for Mido doing this crazy stunt was because he been trying to catch Saria's eye, for even after what seemed like years her every thought had been on Link. Love between a he and a she was an alien emotion to the forest children, just as much as lovers' jealously, but Link had been a foreign element, and his childhood stay with the Kokiri had had a unforeseen effect on both Saria and Mido. After entering the darker part of the forest Mido had run into a wolf, a very hungry wolf who had seen Mido for a quick kill. After hearing Mido's far carried screams a rather bold Kokiri named Farso had come running with a Deku Stick that was about as hard as iron wood, the wolf had been so preoccupied with it's meal that it didn't notice as Farso brought the stick down the wolf's head smashing it's skull in. But Mido had already been injured beyond any hope of healing and died within the hour. Though Saria and Mido were never on best terms for the way he treated Link, Saria was one of the few people Mido had ever called friend. So she sat there with him, watching the life fade away from him and then at last his suffering ended.   
When Link had heard about Mido's death from Saria through the song they shared, Link was filled with remorse, Mido had changed since he had blamed Link for the death of the first Deku Tree and he found the thought of him no longer repulsed him. Strange how Link's entire adventure had start out in that forest, and had ended in that final battle with Ganon, that was when Link remembered how his Triforce fragment had saved him from serious injury during that fight, allowing him to strike the blow that had fell the Dark King.   
Link knew what he was going to attempt was a long shot at the very best, but he had to try, for Mido and for Saria, who they both had loved.   
The evil Ganon had been able to command the Triforce of Power since   
the King of Thieves had taken the it from the Sacred Realm. The Sacred Realm that was now the Dark World, thanks to Ganon's wish. Zelda had unlocked the secret of the Triforce of Wisdom during the Imprisoning War, the seer like and magical abilities of which she was still trying to understand. Link, The Hero of Time, had ironically been the only one unable to understand the abilities of his Triforce, the Triforce of Courage. This is why I has come back: to find out if I can in some mad attempt give life to death.   
Mido, the leader of the Kokiri chosen by the Deku Tree, had been Link's rival during the would-be Hero of Time's stay in the forest. The rivalry was due mostly to two facts. One was that Mido looked down on Link because Link had been the only 'Kokiri' not to receive a fairy from the Deku Tree. The second was that Mido has always jealously been attracted to Saria, and Saria to an very unsuspecting Link.   
When Navi the fairy came to Link from the Deku Tree to fetch him, Mido wasn't happy. After the Great Deku Tree's death, Mido blamed it on Link, even though it was Link who had defeated the parasitic monster Gohma who had nested inside the the giant tree's roots. Gohma's defeat broke the curse placed on the tree by Ganondorf. But the queen of spiders had already injured the Deku Tree beyond recovery before Link had begun. When Link returned to the forest seven years later, Mido and the other ageless Kokiri hadn't recognized Link in his new grown-up body. Mido told the stranger that if he ever met Link to tell him that he was sorry for being mean to him and that Saria "really liked him and not Mido." The Deku sprout had emerged after Link had broken the curse on the Forest Temple, and told the Hero of Time of his lineage and destiny. Link had learned that he was not a Kokiri but instead was a Hylian raised as one, and Saria had been chosen by fate to be the Sage of Forest so they could never be together.   
"Do it now," Saria said in a solemn voice.   
He tried to mentally command the Triforce to do his bidding . . . nothing. Why wasn't it working, he thought. Saria was discouraged and Zelda disappointed. Link thought about the last time he and Mido spoke during the Imprisoning War.   
"If you see him, tell him I'm sorry for being mean to him. Tell him that too..."   
If only Link could somehow do it. He knew he could, but how was he supposed to use a skill meant for a creator of Hyrule? Link knelt to the ground putting his left hand down on the grave's moist dirt, and in a soft whisper said, ". . . please Mido, leader of the Kokiri, it's me, Link, I forgive you. . . You weren't meant to die. You are supposed to be alive. . . please Mido for Saria's sake!"   
The Triforce symbol on Link's hand appeared and glowed. The golden triangle containing Farone's essence, glowed blue. The blue energy flowed down Link's fingers into the ground and disappeared. The Triforce on Link's hand vanished. He felt drained, as if something had in him had been pulled out of him. Saria's eyes brightened with hope but then faded with dismay. The meadow remained silent and unmoving. Zelda had the ultimate look of pity on her face. Link stood up and turned away.   
"Mido!" Saria cried happily.   
Mido gasped for air as he climbed out of the loose earth. Link turned to see him and both Link and Zelda were amazed and joyful. Mido's fairy counterpart, sensing his return, flew from her resting place in the late Deku Tree and rested once again in an orbit around him. Mido was before them, healthy, whole, complete, and very confused. His   
Kokiri tunic was ripped and tattered, but together.   
"What happened? The last thing I remember was a wolf. Then it saw me and..." Mido's mind recalled the last moments of his life, then he had... Mido looked around where he was and at the hole in the ground he was just in.   
"I was dead, wasn't I?"   
"Yes, you were, Kokiri leader, but thanks to the Hero of Time, you live again."   
Mido looked stupidly at Link, who he failed to recognize, again.   
"Well, thanks mister. It is strange, I could swear I heard a voice belonging to someone I used to know. He left the forest one day and never came back. Well, he did a few times but then stopped coming. He must of died leaving the forest ('cause the Great Deku Tree said a Kokiri's life will end if they)... Hey! Can you resurrect the Deku Tree like you did with..."   
"No." The sprout said. The young tree was taller than Link and more massive, but the face present in the sprout's bark was always happy and cheerful, except now.   
"When I emerged, his life-force along with the forest's were transferred into me. There is nothing in him to resurrect. There is no force in Hyrule that can bring my father back to life, he was a victim of the curse placed on him by the desert man."   
"Ganondorf." Link said.   
"Quiet, Hero of Time, he maybe trapped in Dark Realm, but is not good to mention evil such as his in this sanctuary." Zelda said quite seriously.   
"You're right, but he is trapped and peace is in Hyrule again," Link replied.   
But, there is no peace in you, Link, none at all. Zelda thought looking with her scarlet eyes into his bright blue ones and into his soul.   
When Mido entered the village, surprise was nothing compared to the expression on everyone's face. One of the Twins thought Mido was a ghost. But the Kokiri soon realized Mido was indeed alive again by some act of this stranger and the princess.   
There was so much commotion about Mido once again among the living that no one noticed as Link and Zelda backed away from the crowd of forest children. All except one, Saria. As the duo walked across the Lost Woods Bridge, Link noticed Saria standing by the forest entrance. He approached her and she spoke to him in a voice like someone who knew they were terminally ill.   
"I guess we're saying good-bye again."   
Link couldn't bear to say it, but he knew that he did not belong in Kokiri Forest nor in Hyrule Castle. He didn't belong anywhere, except maybe on the road, forever moving, never in the same place for long.   
"Yeah . . ."   
"Good-bye Link, visit often, ok?"   
"You know I will," I just Lied to her.   
"OK, see you then," Never.   
Link and Princess Zelda walked out of the forest leaving Saria alone at the bridge. Saria sat there for a time, then wept. A part of her knew Link would never return to the forest. He was not a Kokiri and she and he were both destined for things that would separate them like a chasm. She was now the Sage of Forest one of the six sages who had helped seal the evil king in the void of the Dark Realm. But was that to come at the price of her and Link? Ruto had come to terms with the fact that the Zora princess and the Hero of Time were not meant to be. Why couldn't she? Because you know the feeling is mutually stupid and with Ruto it was puppy-love, with you, . . . Saria's mind couldn't go further.   
Mido had managed to wriggle away from the crowd, despite being the main   
attraction. He saw Saria on the bridge and went to her.   
"What's wrong Saria?"   
"Nothing, just give me some time and I'll be . . ." Saria stopped. "Mido, it was nice to see you again, but I have to go now."   
"Where?" Mido said, perplexed by the tone in the ever-young girl's voice and the look on her twelve year old face.   
"Just away. Good-bye." Saria hugged him and ran into the woods. Mido somehow guessed to which part.   
"Sariaaa!" But she was already gone.   
"Not another one!" Mido began to wonder how long it would be before he would give up hope on her return as well. 

I need to find the will power to finnish this.   
  



	2. Entrace and Exit

Saria didn't so as look at the other Kokiri as she went though the little town, it was the same as it had been for as far back as any forest child could remember. For the Kokiri there was no history, and they had only vague ideas of what laid outside their woods that they had had hammed into them that if they left they died. No Kokiri had ever questioned their existence, until now. _[i] How did we come to be? [/i] _Thought Saria._ [i] Where did we come from? Why all the races we have never met before speak the same language as us? The Deku Tree is said to of given us life. But how? Link did not become a Skull Child when he was here. But we were taught that outsiders who entered these woods became them, how does that explain the Skull Children we know to exist? Why have I never thought of these questions before? [/i] _Saria knew it been roughly eight years now since the first Deku Tree had died. A year since Link's return which she alone knew of. She was fairly certain it had been seventeen years since Link was deposited among them. But why was the actual event so hard to remember? She had very clear memories of times before Link's arrival. Not that she could place a date to them. It wasn't like there was much in the lot in the life of a forest child.   
Besides the cloths on her back, there was only one real personal item Saria owned, her oraconia, it was on her dresser, brownish beige with green highlights. She had given one like this to Link once, just before he left on that quest of his. ( The given to him with the Deku Tree's dying breath. ) Later, she saw Link had a new oraconia, one given as a keepsake from princess Zelda just before Gannondorf's Seven Year Rein. From then on he had used that one. Not hers. She wondered if there was some symposium behind that. The forest child decided not to think about it. Strange. Why was she the only who asked these questions? What made he different? Link had been among them all. Why had he affected her this way? Saria a feeling she knew the answer, but she couldn't put it into words.   
Shaking her head she took the wood oraconia and pocketed it. Now there was only thing she really had to do before she left. The others were still in excitement over Mido's resurrection and didn't notice her. When Mido had 'vanished' suddenly, the twins reinstated their theory that that Mido was a ghost had gone back to where he had come from. The others didn't believe that so quick and were looking for him. Saria pitied Mido.   
She glanced at Link's tree house when saw it. She had seen it a hundred times before and had grasped it's meaning. She ran over and looked at the crude drawing on what had been Link's tree house. It was a simple drawing of a knight fighting a dragon._ [i] How did I know what those are? [/i] _Thought Saria trying to remember where she had heard the term before and failing. She looked at the picture done by Link.   
_[i] Even before your quest you dreamed of what it was like outside Link, and now, I do too . . . . [/i]_   
_ I can't live like this anymore. Wondering when he'll be back. Only listening to his voice though the song spell of our oricana's. These woods are the only home I've ever known. Now they feel like a prison. _And now like any prisoner, she wanted out.   
Originally guarding the Deku Tree's clearing was Mido's task, no one had yet to take up the job. It was considered bad behavior to see their maker without a summoning. But there was a growing part of the girl that no longer cared.   
Saria: offspring of the forest, slowly walked into the Deku Tree's meadow and stood alone before his successor the Deku Sprout. Her thoughts turned over and over again in her head about how to ask her request, for she had a very good   
feeling of the answer. Saria, like any Kokkiri saw the Guardian Tree as practicality omnipotent, a belief somewhat shattered with her former guardian's death, but the green haired girl still felt as if her mind was naked before the great tree's power and   
thought her perhaps he would answer her question with her needing to answer it. As the silence drag on however, it become clear she was going to have to ask this question on her own.   
"Great Deku Sprout." She started. "I-I wish to leave the-"   
"No."   
Saria looked in the face of the fledgling tree a heavy feeling forming in her stomach.   
"Don't ask me that. If you do. I will deny your request."   
Saria was confused, he was asking her not to ask because he knew what she was going to ask and was going to say no? She didn't understand.   
"Tell me what you want." It said. "Not what you plan to do but what you want."   
Saria didn't need to think about it.   
"I want to be with Link. I can no longer live here, I don't belong anymore."   
"Why do you no longer belong here?"   
"Before Link came to this forest as an infant, I never once questioned what lies beyond these woods, I never once thought there could be more to my life than what I already had."   
"But the Hylian changed that didn't he?"   
"Yes, he made me question, I don't know why of all the Kokkiri I should be the one to be affected by him. All the other aren't happy he's gone of course, but, they don't stop to wonder where he is, they don't stop to wonder what he's doing."   
"You on the other hand do. You are the only Kokkiri ever to actually question your existence as far back as my father can remember. To ask what the stars though the tree tops are, instead of just thinking their pretty."   
"Yes." Saria replied meekly.   
"Child, I can not give permission for a forest child to leave the forest. But I also understand what you feel. I will neither give my blessing or my denial on your request. What you do, you must do of your own free will."   
"Can you answer me one question?" She whispered.   
"One." Came the billowing yet young voice.   
"There Great Deku Tree said a forest child would die if they left the forest, but rumors have circulated about a forest child long before Link left about a Kokkiri that left this forest and lived. I have to know. If your predecessor knowledge is at   
your command. Then please, is there any truth to what is said?"   
"I can not tell you that."   
Saria was no longer feeling awe or belittlence, she was now just feeling frustration.   
"I will tell you this. I give you the free will to do as you chose, but once your decision is made, you will not be able to undo it, understand?"   
"Yes." And in that moment Saria's decision was made. She slowly turned and began to walk out of the meadow.   
"Good bye little one . . .. Loca return to me." The Sprout commanded.   
Loca, Saria's fairy flew from his sleeping place under Saria's hair visor and disappeared into the late Deku Tree's massive branches. Saria felt as if a part of her had died.   
"You are now beyond my authority to either aid or hinder. If you change your mind, I will be waiting."   
"I won't." Simply, direct, quick, she just wanted out.   
The tree made a sign of recognition. Saria made her way out of the meadow and knew there was no turning back now. 

Navi at that moment was flying high above the Lost Woods , she had grown accustom to the skull kid's mysterious music as they flipped in and out of the shadows, she was almost beginning to like it. She hadn't gone back to the Deku Sprout like she should of. She would of been just assigned to another Kokiri as a guardian fairy. She didn't want another Kokiri to look after she wanted a ten year old Hylian, but she was bound by powers beyond her to depart from him, he needed to find his own destiny without her. But Skull Kids were not the same, they could never do what Link always did, he listened to her. Something no one else had ever done. People talked TO her, but never WITH her.   
The Lost Woods encircled all of Kokiri forest, the thinnest part was small valley that held the ancient extension bridge that connected these ancient woods with the outside world. It was protect barrier against intruders. For all the good it did. Though the fairy bitterly! It couldn't stop the King of Thieves from entering and poisoning the Deku Tree. She had seen Link here twice and each time had not gone seen him. She simply didn't have the courage to face him. Navi was never one to forgive, she was afraid that Link was the same way. She had abandoned him. She, the only one who knew Link's secret that this had all happened before with them. They had defeated and sealed Gannon the Dark King. But it had happened once before. What had been that Zelda's final words? Regain your lost time? Events of course had played out differently with Link not trapped in the Sacred Realm. And there was one major difference, she hadn't been at his side.   
Navi noticed a familiar figure moving though the mists and trees towards the bridge.   
She flew down until she was right behind her.   
"If I ever saw a Kokiri in need of a guardian fairy it's you Saria." She said, slipping into her sarcastic yet friendly as easily as a human put on a pair of shoes.   
"Hello Navi . . ." Almost not caring.   
Navi looked at Saria she seemed only half dressed.   
"Hey, were's Loca?"   
"He's back with the Deku Sprout." Saria said as if reading from a manual.   
"Well why would you be without your . . . oh I see." She saw the look in Saria's eyes, it was the same she had seen in Link's eyes every time he had drawn his sword ready to fight whatever monster happened to be waiting in this particular dungeon room. It was a look of final decision.   
Saria came to a stop. There it was. The edge of her universe. The dark tunnel made from one of the humongus hallowed out lodges that dotted the forest. And on the other side. She didn't know.   
"Your becoming more and more like Link every time we meet recently," said Navi though she hadn't seen her since . . . oh boy. . . she had really disconnected herself from others.   
_ . . .if any Kokiri should step outside these woods, they will die . . ._   
That was what the Deku Tree had said, Saria thought.   
"That's what I'm hoping." Saria replied   
"Are you really willing to take the risk?" The fairy knew what the girl was planning. And knew it was madness to try and stop her.   
"Yes . . ." She said firmly though her insides were trembling.   
"You want to be my partner?"   
"Just watch me." Navi flew under the visor holding together Saria's green hair.   
_ . . . they will die . . ._   
"Y'know you had the sprout's blessing before, you don't now."   
_ . . . you will die . . ._   
Saria stepped onto the bridge.   
"My only hope is that I have Link's."   
"What do you mean by; hey!" Navi had to hold on as the Saria held her breath and ran above the valley and though the tunnel into the unknown. Everything was black. There was a blinding light. 

Saria covered her eyes, she had never seen anything so bright, it was piercing her eyes and into her brain burning it. She was on her knees for several minutes before the light dimmed to a level her eyes could accept. Her eyes opened and focused on a sea of endless blue with islands of white above her, and a ocean of waving green before her. Her entire life had been in the filtered light of Kokiri forest. Now she was seeing pure sun light for the first time in her life.   
"Your not used to bright sunlight are you?" Said Navi sarcastically.   
"I-Is it always this bright?"   
"Sometimes brighter, some times blacker than a skull kid's face."   
"Perfect." She mumbled.   
"You haven't been out two minutes and you already have sarcasm down."   
Saria looked at herself. She wasn't changing into dusk. She didn't feel a sudden pain in her chest and die on the spot. The ground didn't shallow her up. She was alive. Alive! So the rumors of a Kokiri that had left the forest and had lived on WERE true! She could go to Link! In spit of everything, in spit of the weight of what every she had done meant, in spit of having lost Loca, and she was now burdened with never seeing her friends ever again, Saria couldn't help herself and shouted with joy. After she calmed down she got a better look at her surroundings. The forest was entirely to her back. To her right in the distance she saw a flowing river, where to and from she did not know. Further saw saw the outline of mountains. To her left was nothing but flat green fields becoming steady more rocky at the horizon. And directly in front of her was rolling hills one after the other.   
"It's . . . " There was no edge in sight to the green field she saw. "So much bigger than I thought."   
"What? Did you think there was going to be a big sign pointing to where Link was going to be?"   
"No but . . ." Saria finally realized this was not going to be the simple task she thought it was going to be. She looked at the forest entrance. No too late to go back. No, she had made her decision. She wasn't going to give up now.   
"Where would Link be?" She asked at last to her new companion.   
"Well, this might be a stupid idea but .. . have you considered just ASKING him yourself? Or did you not pack your flute?"   
"It's an ocarina and . . . I don't want Link to know about this, not yet, I want it to be a surprise for him."   
"Some surprise if you can't even find him."   
"I'm sorry Navi but I can't."   
"Your just like Link, you always want to do things the hard way."   
"I like it when you compare me to him Navi."   
"Whatever, come one girl, if your this demented to this then let's do it."   
"So you do know where Link could be?"   
"Look Saria, the kid made more than a few friends while he was away. Even the Gerudo think of him as a friend and they don't like any body!"   
Saria felt a heavy weight in her chest that sank to her stomach.   
"Don't worry, if he was with Zelda when he left he's bound to still be with her. And even you know where she lives."   
"Hyrule Castle? Link's talked about it several times."   
"Bingo. If we keep a good pace, we'll be there by tomorrow morning."   
"What!"   
"Look around you girl. Did you think it was just five minutes from here to everywhere?"   
"Eh . . ." Saria had spent her life somewhere where everything WAS five minutes away from everything else.   
The winged point of light sigh. This was going to be a very long day. "Don't worry, there's a place we stop if worse comes to worse, as long as we're there before sunset, otherwise your sleeping on the dirt."   
"Don't you mean the grass?"   
"No!" Retorted the fairy. "There's a dirt road a couple minutes from here that can takes us to Market Town, that's a place that a rock's throw away from Hyrule Castle, but at night it very important not to go off the dirt path unless your prepared for a fight. And girl, you aren't.   
"What's wrong with the grass?"   
"Looks innocent enough doesn't it?" Said the winged creature solemnly. "That was what Link thought too, and it almost got him killed."   
"But . . . it looks so . . . NORMAL!"   
"Heh, you longer you stay out here girl, the more your going to find that 'look' and 'is' are not the same thing. It's not the grass that's the problem, it's the field, that's why no one's ever farmed or really built around here. That stop I told you about is on top of a rocky hill."   
"But you STILL haven't told me what's so dangerous about the field!"   
She was going to have to find out sooner or later. "The dead dislike intrusion in what they consider they're territory. The Deku tree told me and Link on how up until almost two decades years ago, Hyrule was a country of constant wars and strife. I don't know if Link told you this or not, but during the last war was when his dying mother deposited him under your race's care."   
"What's a decade?" Forest children were not stupid, but terms such as centuries and decades really had no meaning to them. Why should they? Each year was the same to them. The universe and everything around them was a constant.   
"Ten years . . . anyway, during Ganondorf Dragmire's Seven Year Rein, the Dark King used his magic to make them one of his armies and the fields became safe to travel at night. After he was banished however the dead returned to their rest place and they were just as territorial as before. If your on the grass after dark girl, the dead aren't going to be forgiving. They're only dangerous if your slow and unarmed. But you aren't armed."   
Saria was beginning to realize just how ill prepared she had come for all of this. Saria began to turn around but stopped herself. No, she couldn't go back, she didn't know if she would have the resolution to leave a second time, she had to do this now.   
"Lead the way Guardian Fairy." She said in mock drama.   
"Just stick close to me girl. Nothing is going to go wrong." 

Anyone want to read my Zelda glossary? 

Flames, comments, suggestions, reactions, corrections, occasional constructive critizem all welcome. As long as they have something to do with the story. I want to revise this piece if I get enough feed back.   
Please e-mail me at matt@lenzarts.com if you didn't like a review I made of a story instead of abusing the review system to spam me.   



	3. Faith and Doubts

Consciously perhaps, Saria had no idea what to expect in the outside world. But perhaps, after hearing all the adventures Link had had over the years, (including a race against the clock in the   
alternate world of Termina with the dreaded demon Mask of Major, the thought of that thing from what Link had told her still made her shiver, Dragmire had wanted power to control, that . . . thing   
had wanted power to destroy.) had really thought maybe subconsciously that things were going to be more exciting.   
Now, walking across the strip of dirt in the ocean of green, all the time thinking about the restless dead Navi had mentioned (Saria admitted there was a part of her that was curious what   
moving dead looked like but her more intelligent side decided it was not worth the risk) and repeatedly looking at the sun in fear it was speeding it's decent (until Navi wisely suggested she stop before   
she blinded herself), the words Saria now linked to it were fearful and tedious. If it was possible for those two words to be used together.   
It was past noon, and only now had the stone hill Navi told her about was coming into view. To be frank, she was grateful that little fairy had dropped in unannounced. The world WAS a much   
larger place than even Link's stories had given it credit for. And she would of spent the rest of eternity looking for Link and never finding him if not for 'bunny ear's' (nickname of Link's, never said to   
Navi's face though) help. Navi had in her own way saved her life twice already. First by telling her about Hyrule Field's more sinister nature after dark, and then again a couple of hours back when she   
had told Saria not to get close to the giant flowers that had looked so attractive. (Navi informed her they were carnivorous)   
Saria could have been asking were there any customs she should know about, dos and don'ts. But all she ended up doing was trekking along in silence. The originally insignificant weight of Navi   
slowly becoming unimaginably heavy. Deku Tree it was hot. Having spent her life in the perpetual shade of the Kokkiri woods had not made the girl seeming Kokkiri prepared for the ruthless heat   
of a midsummer day. Child seeming . . . Link and Princess Zelda were proof how beings outside of the Kokkiri's world were giants in comparison to Saria's race. And that only their offspring for a   
short time were Saria's size.   
How old are you? She thought to herself. Saria started, that had to be the bizarre and unusual question her mind had come up with since this entire insanity had started. Time had next to no   
meaning to a Kokkiri as said before, and age was greatly connected to time.   
Maybe by 'die' her creator had meant she would go insane. It was a possibility. The forest child sat down on the dirt road.   
"What's with the stop?" The fairy asked.   
"I think losing my mind I need to rest for a minute."   
"Minutes turn into hours. You may of been raised in a forest, but don't tell me you like sleeping on dirt. The sun isn't taking breaks."   
After only half a day with the fairy, Saria had already learned one thing. Do not try and debate with Navi. Not that Saria had much to debate with. For all of Link's stories, she was still mostly   
ignorant of the outside world, and Navi was only of them with any experience there of.   
A spell of dizziness hit Saria and she went to her knees to herself from falling on her head. Oh no. Maybe death outside the forest was time released? What if only now she was beginning to . .   
. wither? Navi flew in front of her face and touch Saria's forehead with one of her tiny hands.   
"No fever." concluded the fairy simply. "Maybe the heat is getting to you."   
Saria clung onto the strand of hope. "Did it get to Link?"   
"No . . ." Saria's heart sunk. "But it was spring when he started out. It's the middle of summer." It resurfaced. "Heh . . . I hope he isn't out here like this. His hiking gear would be an oven."   
"Navi, what if I'm dying?"   
The fairy floated back a few inches. "Saria you're not dying. We fairies know these things. I would be able to tell if your . . . for lack of a better term life force was getting weaker. It's just as   
strong as when you started on this crazy escapade. It's a little trick that managed to convince Link to visit a healer instead of descending further into a dungeon after taking apart a troop of lizard men."   
"Was that wise? I mean, couldn't they replace them in the mean time? And could Link get out just like that?"   
"The monsters Link fought had been guarding those various fortress' forever, they didn't HAVE reinforcements."   
"Oh."   
"Can you stand?"   
Saria didn't respond, she only got to her feet and found the dizziness had past. Taking a deep breath a encourage by Navi's insurance she wasn't dying, Saria strode forward, telling herself she would make it the mid point of the stone hill before night fall easily. There was nothing to go wrong!   
The giggle sounded like an echo from a dark chasm. Saria started. (she was going to have to stop doing that)   
"Oh no, not of them." Said Navi in both frustration and misery.   
The giggling didn't stop. Saria tried to figure out where the sound was coming from to no avail. That was when it appeared. That was when Saria remembered when she had heard this kind of laughter before. It was at the forest temple. From the four ghost sisters that had brought her to Dragmire's shadow. However it was not one of the four bundles of free floating colored rags that faded into her perspective a second later.   
It held a lantern instead of a torch. But it had no legs like the sisters, and Saria would never guess it had ever been human in life. Its face was a black void. It's eyes two points of white light.   
"Don't worry . . ." Said Navi. "Just ignore it and it'll most likely go away."   
[i] Most likely? [/i] Saria didn't like the sound of that.   
"I thought you said they came out at night." Said Saria not taking her eyes off the ghost.   
"Not these ones, keep moving, it'll vanish as get further away from where it died."   
The shade giggled and a floating blob of blue flame floated out of its lantern and landed at Saria's feet. The girl took a step back.   
"Be careful, it's colder than ice. It'll want to 'play' with you the more you stay here, get moving before it's decides to start playing catch with you using those things as the ball!"   
Saria carefully step over the flame and not taking a second look sprinted down the dirt road.   
Several minute later Saria at last stopped catching her breath. Navi had smartly held on her shirt just before she had dashed away from the specter.   
"What was that thing?" Saria breathed, looking back and glade to see no sign of the thing.   
"Forget what that particular kind is called. But it's a Poe . . . A ghost that breaks the rules. They can't go far from where their bodies are though. There's this nut job in Market Town that actually sells big bucks for anyone who figures out how to bottle the things. Don't ask me about that part."   
"What for? The ghosts I mean." Saria had no idea what anyone would want spirits for.   
"I seriously believe that, that is something no one wants to find out."   
"Is life out here always so dangerous?"   
"Sometimes . . . sometimes not. It all depends on what life deals you. You drew a new hand when you left Kokkiri forest Saria, and we haven't seen all the cards in play yet."   
For the third time that day. Saria began to wonder if she should just go home. 

Flames, comments, suggestions, reactions, corrections, occasional constructive critizem all welcome. As long as they have something to do with the story. I want to revise this piece if I get enough feed   
back.   
Please e-mail me at matt@lenzarts.com if you didn't like a review I made of a story instead of abusing the review system to spam me. 

Any idea on what happens next? I need help here.   



	4. Indecision and Finality

Then, also, for the third time that day, Saria realized, she couldn't go home, not now, who was to say if ever? Link may have visited once or twice before he got too old for the Kokkiri to recognize him but he didn't return. Of course that couldn't happen with her, she was a Kokkiri herself, she never 'aged'. It wasn't like all her friends were going to magically forget about her or suddenly not recognize her. 

But could she go back? Really? When she was in Kokkiri Forest, all she had felt was strife deep in her chest. Now, she was here, in this vast endless overly bright outer world, the new thing that was eating at her was uncertainty, it didn't dominate her, but it was there, whispering her to go back regardless of Link or the emotion she didn't understand that were all linked (no pun intended) right at him. 

But there was also the need, the need to leave, the need to find him, the need to be with him. Saria wondered, had Link felt this need too? Before he had left on Zelda's quest? An indefinable **need** to see the world? For a time, the Deku Tree had been her god, the forest, her universe, all of that was changing, so fast, too fast. At times it had made Saria's head spin with confusion. What was happening to her? 

The forest child needed something to take her mind off things. She looked to her one companion, and her sole guide in this world. 

"Navi." Saria breathed. "Tell me about these dead that appear after dark, do they just fade into existence like that . . . that Poe monster, or something else?"

The fairy's light blinked for a few seconds before answering. "They claw themselves out of the ground. No, more than that, it would be as if the ground was a liquid less resistant than water and they simply rise from it as the tide retreats." 

Saria blinked. "Tide?"

Navi gave a very frustrated sigh. "That does it! First chance we're getting, I'm having Link find some book for you to read! There's too much stuff that you do know that people are going to laugh at you for or think your brain is two sizes too small. When someone talks about something you don't know about, keep your mouth until you're in private. As for what the tide is, don't ask me how, because I don't know, but the moon's presence can cause the water to rise or fall somewhat if there's enough of it, and by that I mean more you've ever seen in your life time Saria."

"You mean, like the 'ocean' he talked about when he told me about his adventure against the demon disguised as mask called Majora."

"Exactly . . . personally I was glade Link opened up about that after he came back, he kinda withdrew into himself after he returned from the futur- I mean from his adventure looking for the spirit stones." Navi patted herself on the back for the quick save, Saria was as ignorant as everyone (save Link, Zelda, and herself Navi) that Link had been sent back before Ganondorf returned with the Triforce Artifact of Power after defeating him seven years in the future. For a while, Link had been terrified that he was going to get sent back AGAIN when he defeated Ganondorf Dragmire once more for the first time, but thank all three Goddess' that was not what happened. Life and time had continued on this instance around and Link had been there to help rebuild the world. 

Saria looked at the sprite in realization. "Wait a minute! Link got sucked into that mad quest looking for you! How did you find out about it?!" 

The fairy was silent for a minute. At long last she confessed. "I was there, always, from a distance, I'll understand if you'll hate me. But I could be with him. I just couldn't work as his partner feeling the way I did, not when so many others already felt the same, I didn't need to add to his dilemma."

Saria was confused. "What dilemma?" 

Navi's voice was meek and even for her, small. "Saria, I'm begging you, please, don't ask me to go into what I mean further. You'll find out soon enough what I mean, and for now you have enough racing in your skull. Just remember how you feel for Link, and go from there."

Saria opened her mouth, but then closed it. If Navi's light could indeed convey emotions, none were so clear as regret and shame. 

The sage of forest decided to go back the topic of the walking dead, an easily much less painful topic. "Do you think we have enough time? To get to the rocky hill-"

"Lon Lon Ranch."

"Lon Lon Ranch before sunset?" 

"You should, as long as you don't break your leg or something. After the sun goes down you'll have a few seconds before they rise up, I think it takes them a second or two for them to get their bones together. After that, they won't get tired, they won't stop, not until they rip the flesh from you and you're bones show as clearly as theirs. They fall apart into helpless pieces if they enter running water. But considering where we're going isn't exactly near the river, that won't help you much today, but it doesn't hurt for you to know." 

"Thank you." 

"No problem."

Her goal, Lon Lon Ranch, no matter how many steps she took, it didn't seem to get any closer. Maybe she was going mad. It would certainly explain a lot. No sane Kokkiri would have done half the things she had done already. Link had, but as it turned out he was no Kokkiri, what did that say about her? 

She shook it off. She had to remember her goal. Find Link. She had already sacrificed up too much, gone too far to turn back now. And yet she kept looking back down the road she had traveled, was this how Link felt? Leaving everything you knew and cared about to seek something greater? 

She had to make it a point to ask him. The sun was already half way en route to its goal of the horizon. Lon Lon Ranch still so far away. She looked behind, and saw Kokkiri forest, so impossibility far behind. 

"I can't take it anymore." She said, before Navi had a chance to ask what she meant, the forest child broke into a mad race towards her goal, shutting out the universe around her, only the not so beaten path and her pumping legs remained, it was all Navi could do to keep up. 

Flames, comments, corrections, suggestion on what should happen next (I'm dry here), reactions good or bad, rants, insults, compliments, and occasional constructive criticism all welcome.

Oh yea, please, don't **just** say 'MORE!' those reviews just leave me kinda empty. 


	5. Expectations and Surprises

Sunset anywhere else in the world was considered a thing of beauty. But on  
Lon Lon Ranch, dead center in the middle of Hyrule Field. It was a giant  
warning sign, telling you get in doors or never see another sunset again.  
Malon, having lived in this land all her life knew this rule well. Strange,  
in spit of all the lives ended and livelihoods ruined because of  
Gannondorf's Seven Year Rein, he had done one good thing in his time. He  
had made Hyrule field safe to cross at night. Yea right. If not for the  
ghosts scattered through out the land and the harsh laws about movement  
that Gannondorf had imposed. If you got caught in the wrong place at the  
wrong time, you didn't live long enough for it to happen again not that  
many tried. That was the way of tyrants, to rule through fear of power  
rather than the power itself.  
Ugh. Why was she even thinking of it? That seven year nightmare was over  
and done with. The less she and other people dwelled on it the better. Life  
went on, and she wasn't going to be left behind.  
For once in her life all the animals had been taken care of early and the  
various pens all cleaned out, for a girl in her line of work, this sort of  
thing didn't happen every decade. She couldn't really give herself all the  
credit. Her family's work hand Ingo had really been giving it his all  
lately. He was clearly building up free time for himself. When asked what  
it was for, Ingo had meekly (a rare case for him) replied after some  
probing that he wanted to go into show business and was working on an act.  
Ingo in show business. Malon laughed at the thought (but not to Ingo's  
face) she wondered what was going to happen next. The moon falling from the  
sky?  
Malon was now doing the one thing in her family's profession that was a  
once in a lifetime thing. Nothing. For once a sunset she could sit back,  
relax and pretend she was her father. It was so wonderful. Breathing in the  
air and looking at the setting sun. Though it meant death for anyone in  
Hyrule Field, Malon had to digress his original thought; it was still a  
thing of beauty. Letting her mind wander she mentally played out her  
favorite fantasy, the one involving Link in a tuxedo.  
She had gotten about halfway down the imaginary isle when the daydream was  
interrupted. Something was repeatedly bumping into her left temple. Not  
caring what it was Malon swatted at it hoping it would just go away. No  
such luck. "Hey!" Said a small high pitched voice. "Is that any way to  
treat visitors?" The Hylian's eyes snapped open and in front of her was a  
tiny glowing point of light floating on what first in her daze thought were  
bunny ears but after a second recognized as wings.  
"A fairy?" Said Malon surprised.  
"No, a Poe. Of course I'm a fairy Malon! Don't tell me you've forgotten  
me!"  
The farm girl thought for a second getting over the stun of the forest  
sprite knowing the redhead's name. "Navi?"  
"Took you long enough! Now you can you please open the door?! There's  
someone outside who needs help."  
"Link?" She said in concern.  
"A friend." Navi corrected. "Please just get her inside."  
Malon only nodded and getting up from her chair unlocked the house door and  
pulled it open to see who fate had deposited on her door step this day.  
The girl had green, well, everything. Green hair. Olive skin. Green tunic  
and sweater. Malon was sure when the girl opened them, she was going to  
have green eyes too. The child had to be about twelve, Malon wondered what  
in Nayru's name a girl her age could be thinking traveling through Hyrule  
Field so close to dark. The only kid she had known to do such a thing was  
Link, and he was at least armed. The poor thing was clearly exhausted.  
People full of energy didn't normally sit on their hands and knees leaning  
against a doorframe breathing wind as their life beat was tellable just by  
looking at them.  
Malon asked. "Are you okay?" The girl of course was too tired to answer.  
Malon pulled the child inside. Her eyes fluttered open for a second. Malon  
realized she had been wrong, the girl's eyes were blue.  
"L-Link." The child whispered half asleep before entering it fully. This  
started Malon who looked at the fairy for answers.  
Navi tried to figure out the best way to put things in a way that wouldn't  
take all night. "She's a friend of his." Navi was glade she hadn't made the  
disastrous mistake of saying the deadly words 'just friends.'  
"Oh." Said Malon subconsciously relieved. "How did she get all the way out  
here?" She asked picking the green haired girl up in her arms.  
Navi decided that her companion's origin couldn't do much harm. "She's a  
Kokiri. They live in the farthest part of Hyrule's Kingdom."  
Malon looked at the sleeping child in confusion. "But, but Link told me  
that true fairy boys and girls died if they left the forest." Navi inwardly  
cringed at the variation of Malon's nick name for Link.  
"I don't get it myself." Navi said honestly. "All I know is that she left  
the forest and is still alive. That's it."  
"Oh." Malon was silent for a moment. "What's her name?"  
"Saria.  
"Just Saria. Kokiri don't have family names."  
"Because they don't have families." Malon said more to herself than to  
Navi.  
"Bingo."  
"How long was she was running? I could see her pulse when I opened the  
door."  
"Since she saw Lon Lon Ranch on the horizon."  
"And she didn't faint dead on her feet halfway here?"  
"I think she forgot where she was about that time and was just running."  
"Most people collapse at that point." Malon knew SHE would collapse going  
at that rate for a third of that distance, Hyrule Field was not small after  
all.  
Not knowing what else to do with her, Malon took the child up to Malon's  
room and put her in bed. No doubt , with everything she had been through  
the child was going to sleep straight till morning.  
Saria didn't remember what she dreamed, it was all a jumble of shapes,  
imagines, and sounds with no rhythm or reason, perhaps reflecting Saria's  
state of mind. Or maybe her subconscious was as tired as the rest of her  
and didn't have the energy to put her dreams into a resemblance of order.  
It was maddening, and the girl tossed and turned in her sleep. While  
downstairs Navi gave the farm girl the load down on Saria and the forest  
child's exit from Kokiri Forest. This left Malon to explain to Ingo and her  
Talon about their new houseguest. She said the girl was simply a friend of  
Link's and was stopping by for the night before going to Hyrule Castle.  
Both men were satisfied with this answer and left Malon to her business.  
When Saria woke up the first thing she thought about wasn't where she was  
or how she got there. It was how SQAURE everything was. She had spent her  
entire life looking at round rooms, the only square rooms she had ever seen  
were those of the forest temple but she had thought those to be an oddity.  
She wondered for a brief moment if she had somehow wound up back in that  
stone mass. But nothing here really resembled save the square rooms the  
haunted temple. But she still wasn't convinced until she looked out a  
window that showed a grassy field surrounded by rocks on all sides, bathed  
in morning light.  
Where was she? It all came back in a moment's notice. Link. Mido. Navi.  
That Poe thing. Hyrule Field. The warning about nightfall. And her mad  
sprint to where Navi told her she would be safe. Was this it?  
Getting her wits together she looked for a way out and spotted something  
else alien to Kokkiri. A door. Oh Kokkri had openings in and out of their  
houses of course. But the idea of blocking them off had never occurred to  
them. Thievery was non-existence since there wasn't much to steal anyway  
among the forest kids. The idea of a Kokiri coming in when they shouldn't  
have didn't apply either since clothing for a Kokiri was for protection or  
for appearance not modesty. Even when wild animals had invaded their  
little sanctum blocking their doors didn't occur to them and instead they  
always had a friend waiting by the side of the door with a Deku stick in  
hand ready to KO anything that wasn't wearing green and went on two legs.  
So now Saria was faced with a device she had never seen before in her life:  
a doorknob. Thankfully Saria saw how the door was different from the rest  
of the wall and was familiar with switches from her time in Forest Temple.  
After only five minutes of frustration did Saria at last got the door to  
open and got a look inside the rest of the house from the top of a rail  
less wood stair case.  
The floor was infested with a horde of white things going about in no fixed  
pattern or order. Saria wondered if they were dangerous. Hyrule, if  
anything, did have a healthy monster population.  
Like a woman in a kitchen full of mice Saria stood at the door to the bed  
room not sure weather to risk getting near the animals or not.  
"Welcome back." Saria almost feel down the stairs. It was Navi.  
"Don't do that!"  
"Sorry. I'm just glade to see you're okay."  
"Thank you . . . I was just building up the courage to race across the  
floors with all of those things there." Saria eyed the white creatures  
nervously.  
"These?" Navi laughed, and did her best to cut it off before she hurt  
Saria' feelings. "They're called Cuckoos. They're dumber than a Duku Barba  
and completely harmless unless you kick one a dozen times or so. But that's  
something you'd actually have to TRY and do so don't worry about." How long  
had it taken for all those scratches to heal that one time Link had teased  
the Cuckoos once too often? Navi had forgotten. Link still joked about them  
being battle scars from the single fight he had lost ever. Or at least had  
when she had been last together with him.  
After another promise it was safe Saria descended the stairs and walked  
across the floor and worked the door much faster than last time and existed  
the farm house happen to be out of the room fill with so many of those  
strange animals.  
"Hey Malon she's awake!" Shouted Navi once they were outdoors.  
A female hylian in a white and yellow sundress with blue trimmings came out  
of another square structure, at least the building was the right color.  
The hylian's hair was bright red, Saria controlled herself, the last time  
she had seen hair that color it had been Gannondorf.  
"So you're Saria huh? Nice to met you. My name's Malon." The woman was  
clearly the kind who wrote the book on happy. Malon? Saria had heard that  
name before.  
"You're Malon?"  
"You know me?"  
"Link talked about you."  
Link had indeed talked about Malon. How she drove him nuts by calling him  
Fairy Boy, how she was the first girl he met outside the forest, and how  
she gave him Eponia, a creature Link called a 'horse.' And that he had  
gotten her AT Lon Lon Ranch. Saria's curiosity got the better of her. "E-  
Excuse me. But I was wondering. Could you show me a horse?"  
Malon had not expected that request but saw no harm in it and complied. She  
had been feeding the horses just as Saria woke up and lead her into the  
barn.  
The sudden change in temperatures from outside to inside the stuffy stables  
caused Saria to grow dizzy catching herself on a wood beam before she hit  
the dirty floor.  
Saria asked fearfully. "Am I dying?"  
Malon said sarcastically. "Oh sure you'll keel over any second now."  
The Kokiri however didn't pick up on Malon's tone and her fact became the  
picture of panic. Malon was quick to pick up on THAT. "No, no, no. I was  
just kidding! You'll be perfectly fine! You're just a little tired that's  
all! Happens to everyone! Really there's nothing for you to worry about!"  
Saria calmed down at Malon's words. She wondered how many other awful  
frights she was going to have today. Answer? At least one more. Asides from  
the cows (Saria recognized them from the one that had been delivered to  
Link's house a couple years back, thought it had wandered off and been  
devoured by wolves a short time later, poor thing.) that inhabited the  
stables, Saria saw something she hoped she would never see again and caused  
her to scream in fear. Before her was a brown furred version of the  
monster that the ghost who had kidnapped her in Forest Temple had ridden  
upon. The green child would have backed up until she was back Kokiri Forest  
if Malon hadn't been right behind her. As it was, Saria's back went right  
into her, stopping her dead in her tracks. Saria didn't turn to see what  
had stopped her, her giant eyes didn't leave the beast before her for a  
second, and least it attacked.  
"Whoa there." Said Malon. "Haven't you ever seen a horse before?"  
This was a horse? It wasn't like anything Saria had imagined. She had to  
confirm what she just heard. "This is a horse? But . . . but . . ."  
"But what?"  
"I . . . I don't know."  
Navi was worried that Saria's ignorance of things was going to get her  
killed. Then again, Link was impulsive and what not and had come through in  
one piece.  
"Look. These horses here are perfectly friendly. See?" Malon touched one to  
prove it wasn't about to bite Saria's hand off. A few seconds later Saria  
hesitantly touch the great beast. When nothing horrible happened Saria then  
petted the animal. Her confidence building and her fear fading.  
'Maybe I can survive out here.'  
"Say." Suggested Malon. "Want to ride one?"  
"What?!"  
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Important question that will affect the entire story:  
Should I bring an antagonist into this?  
Flames, comments, reactions good or bad, rants, retorts, suggestions on  
what happens next (very welcome) praise, and occasional constructive  
criticism all welcome.  
IF YOU HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND ABOUT A REVIEW I MADE E-MAIL ME!!!!! DON'T  
ABUSE THE REVIEW SYSTEM. 


	6. Pre And ReBirth thank you everyone

Howdy everyone. I just want you to know. This was second fanfiction I believe. But in these six years I've realized. I just don't have the time or desire to complete it anymore. I still love the Zelda games, and the people who write fanfictions for it. But times are different and times have changed. For the sake of honor, what follows are the events and twists and turns that would have taken place if this story had been completed. I also had my computer with all my work on this story stolen.

I now see my Mido death and resurrection opening was pointless, I could have thought up something better to open up the story with rather than a ex machina death/resurrection since I really just needed an excuse for Link and Saria to be there. It was really a left over form when this was intended as an extension of an obscure zelda add-venture that has long since gone off-line. In fact, the story was edited HEAVILY from what I had originally written. I can thank my brother for that, teaching me the golden rule of fanfiction "treat your reader as if they have not play the games, even if they have." Since it keeps a sense of story telling.

Another example of this having originally being part of an add-venture was having Malon still as a child in a deleted scene due to one of the authors of the addventure including a time portal that temporally aged Link, Zelda, and Ruto! This was forgotten about by later writers who thought it took place in the seven years later timeline!!!

I shall perhaps be posting these rough drafts as extras, maybe, maybe not. Several major scenes were cut. Including Link and Zelda's chat after they left the forest. And a VERY LARGE celebration at Zora's domain. I had also included a scene where Marin was introduced just for the heck of it (never a good thing) along with the music man who were going to be the vocal entertainment of said celebration (over Ganondorf). I've also included my glossary I wrote when I began writing this, it was intended to be a explainer to the uninitiated, but now it serves as a look at what I thought of the Zelda universe when Majora's Mask was the latest game in the series.

I can also see how ambiguous I was in those days, and not in a good way.

An odd thought occurs to me. Kokiri have no concept of the different forms of love besides friends and perhaps siblings. (sound familiar?). And it just hit me. Most fans believe that Saria was the one who raised Link from his time as a infant. What if Saria was feeling maternal feelings for Link all along but having no knowledge or cultural experience of what those were tried to fit them into what she could understand them as and still came with an emotion she couldn't really understand? I know I've gone too far down the path I've set with Saria and Link in this story to ever change it. But it still is something to think about.

Please read it if you will. And tell me what you think of it. I actually had a lot of different ideas of where to originally take this story. But I shall settle on this path. Thank you for all who reviewed and read on:

Saria at the beginnings of her lessons was terrified. But Malon has that talent for being able to encourage people. It also unwittingly provides a distraction for Saria from her search for Link. Saria of course starts out on a pony, to keep from doing anything too stupid, since Link had no idea he was being reckless riding a feral horse like Epona.

Navi thinks this is precisely what Saria needed. Kokiri clothes are logically made to stand up to punishment (the Kokiri IMHO give the impression of being rough and tumble kiddos) thus there would be no need for Saria to get a chance in outfit. Saria also begins to help out Malon with the tasks on the ranch and is introduced to Talon and Ingo. Saria admits she is still having flashes of sickness, but she is apparently recovering since they don't seem to be getting any worse. I had other ideas for this originally, but now thinking about it, once Saria was outside the Deku Tree's influence for a long period of time her 'sickness' was in fact her beginning to have a moon cycle.

The Lon Lon Ranch doesn't have much in the way of books, but the few it does have Navi makes sure that Saria reads them! This combined with conversations with Malon begin to give Saria a much larger picture of Hyrule compared to what she knew from bits and pieces of what her fellow sages told her during their preparations to seal Ganondorf.

An event happens during one of the choirs that Saria takes care of to pay back their hospitality, this isn't too alien an idea for Saria since the Kokiri it's likely had a base idea of how to take care of themselves since they were able to in the seven years the Deku Tree was dead and were able to stay alive long enough in spite of monster invasion for Link to restore their guardian to 'life.'

Though I think the idea of money was thrown in the Kokiri shop just for game play purposes since Saria jokes how you can get the stuff at the shop in the forest for free. The artist of the Ocarina manga even had Link not have a clue what money was when he came to Castle Town and nearly got arrested/ beat up, for taking food right off the stands without paying. For this reason I think Malon would have to explain the idea of Rupees to Saria when it came time to sell Lon Lon's trademark milk.

The event I spoke of before was Saria cutting herself (injuries are far too easy to get on any farm in spite of what some might think), however she is shocked and confused when she has brown blood opposed to green. This confuses her greatly, and for a minute has another 'I'm dying!' panic attack, but has had so many false alarms she choses that this time she'll ignore this dread.

Post Rapture was the first fanfiction writer I saw that used the idea of Kokiri having green blood, and I loved the idea so much I figured it was logical to adopt it.

The original game creator said that Navi did have some feelings for Link, to what extent wasn't said. But Navi IMHO at least seems mature enough to let go of them in favor of Link's happiness.

Ruto over the course of events since the end of Ocarina and the -second- defeat of Ganondorf (though she doesn't know this of course), has slowly come to the realization that while she's fond of Link, he doesn't think of her in the same light. Nabooru might have found Link attractive but little else.

In the manga does have Malon 'realize' at least in her mind that Zelda was Link's princess and not her, and she proceeds to take it out on the Gerudo thugs coming at her and Link (she ain't no pudgy city girl!). Here, Navi tries to tip toe around things that can not be tip toed around indefinitely. If I had been in my more petty phase when I wrote this, I would have written Malon turning nutsoid from finding out Saria's feelings. Here however, Malon realizes what Saria's feelings are even if Saria doesn't know the right word yet to describe what Saria is feeling. She figures Saria is too young for Link, and Link would politely turn her down like he does Ruto. Malon isn't blind to Link's feelings for Zelda, but figures the princess doesn't quite feel for him in the same way. My brother even reading the story said, the tale gave the impression of "Link believes he's in love with Zelda, but that is all." However she still likes Saria, and over the course of the tale would even somewhat begin to see her as the little sister she never had (ironic given Malon's doppelgangers in the world of Majora's Mask). Even if to Talon Saria just remains a possible good buddy and good temporarily work hand while Ingo just acknowledges her and little else.

After about a month on Lon Lon Ranch (that's as far I think I could stretch Link not visiting Malon). The festival in honor of the victory of what would be called by later generations as the Imprisoning War rolls around, and Saria is rekindled and reaffirmed in her desire to finally see Link.

Around this time, we cut to a scene in the Dark World.

In a domain of fallen grace known as Dark Realm, both ruler and prisoner, brooded in his tower. More massive than even his castle that stood during the imprisoning war in Hyrule, the Tower of Ganon stood like a pillar of gray, black, metal and rock, piecing the clouds like a spear overlooking a land of pain and suffering.

Every tree in Dark World had at one point been a man, who had found his way into the scared realm searching for the "power of gold", Ganondorf's arrival had seen they stayed rooted to the ground. The land was also populated with both humans transformed into animals by the sacred realm and monster's spawned from Ganon's wish to rule all.

The rivers were choked green with moss and algae. The ground was cracked and dry, reflecting the desert where Ganondorf had been raised.

The great pyramid where the Triforce Whole once stood was now a soul less collection of stones, crumbling and degrading.

The sky that once shown gold not blue, was now a dark forbidding shade of roughe.

Ganon's throne room was a perfect circle with every angle a statue of Ganon in his new form facing the center holding the Triforce Whole. At the room's heart was a black and gray throne, bulky with sharp horns on all sides. It lay in the center of a Triforce symbol engraved into a floor of solid iron.

The monster sitting in the spiky chair, may of at first glance would of been mistaken for a very large man. But then they would realize it's head was not human and then notice the giant curled horns sticking out of it's temples. Also the legs ended not in feet or boots but cloved hoofs. It's finger were solid metal claws.

The pig-face was as still at the statues' unmoving, unblinking. But the mind behind the eyes was a whirlwind of hate, malice and endless fantasias of revenge against all who had imprisoned him.

Mandrag Ganon's mind kept searching his domain for a way out of this prison, then he sensed it, the seal was broken, no cracked, and though the crack he sensed something else.

The first thing he sensed would prove useful in it's own time, and the other was an immediate opportunity to be exploited. But, the Temple Lords were gone, he had no more allies free, then he remembered a mistake,

"Perhaps that worthless creation may just be put to good use this day."

When it's corporal form was destroyed Phantom Ganon had been banished to the gap between realities after the illusion of Ganon had been defeated by Link at the forest temple. Ganondorf had made Phantom Ganon as a public face to keep himself out of danger. The ghost had disappointed the King of Darkness during that battle, but now he had no choice.

Ganon's mind reached out and touched the conciseness of the false Ganondorf, in the oblivion between universes.

"Awaken failure, I have need of your services."

"Yes . . . Master."

"The seal has opened just a crack, enough for me to sense that once of the sages is no more, I still cannot escape this prison, but I can push you nothing out of the void into the Light World."

"Yes, yes, Master, set me free!"

"I will but you have failed me once too often as Phantom Ganon, maybe your next form will serve me better than you."

"Master; aaahhhh!"

Phantom Ganon had been in Ganondorf's image, except for it's meat and skin less skull, with it's razor horns and empty glowing eye sockets.

But, now all that was stripped away, his mind and body melting into a shapeless blob of nothingness, devoid of thought or memory.

"Now I will cloth you in the new form and identity though which you will serve me, then you will go, my new servant, and prove yourself superior to your predecessor!"

The Festival either happens in Lon Lon Ranch again, OR, perhaps just to symbolize the nightmare is over it happens in the market of Castle Town again.

Link and Zelda hook-up with their buddies (mostly the five other Hyrulian sages) during this festival while Saria helps Malon with things hiding herself under a hood.

Finally it becomes time for dancing, and Saria finally does what she needs to do. If Link and Saria did chat via their song at any point before this, Saria wouldn't have let on she had left the forest... but would have kept track of Link.

Link noticed his dance partner had her head against his chest. It was then he saw the glint of green hair underneth that hood.

Link just plain not believing it keeps him from putting two and two together, but Saria ultimately reveals it to him on the spot! Link is more than a little concerned for her health and safety.

"Saria you shouldn't of come here."

Saria reveals things to Link about her long stay away from the forest. However, soon after coming into contact with Link (perhaps triggered from her status as a sage and Link's triforce of courage) Saria gets hot and faints. Link is MORE than concerned for her and wants to take her back to the forest that moment.

But this is thrown off his mind (with Zelda spiriting Saria away to safety), when what was once Phantom Ganon, now Agahnim appears, and reeks havoc, and baits and taunts Link to draw the master sword, knowing it'll open the door to the sacred realm again and allow his master entry now that the seal is weakened. It's only Navi's quick thinking that prevents Link from playing right into Agahnim's hands and unleashing Ganon into the realm of light waring Link of Agahnim's gambit. But this still leaves the problem of Agahnim.

Using less than modern medical practices, some healers try to bleed the sickness out of Saria, and now in a half away state, Saria sees her blood, and wonders why it's reddish brown.

In a fever dream, Saria meets with an image of the original Deku Tree, who says he may be a spirit of the original Deku Tree, the Deku Sprout in mental contact with her, or perhaps a racial memory buried in her bones without even saying which. Or it might be the legendary owl who appears in Saria's dream, much like he did in the dreams of the wind fish. It might for a bit of emotional stabbing be Loca (her fairy from the beginning of the story) Saria in this state begins to learn much of her kind.

For the Kokiri, there is the present and -only- present. They ARE the "cute forever" utopia society that exists in the ideals of those who like the idea of people being kids forever being looked over by one powerful benign being. They don't question, they don't wonder, they merely accept, they merely are, and enjoy life and while they most decidedly live, their culture and mind set has remained almost completely unaltered since they were spawned by the Deku Tree.

Link's presence however, -infected- the Kokiri with curiosity, ever so slightly with what lay outsider their world. For most it was simply a sprinkling, but for Saria this 'infection' too deep root, making it impossible for her to function in Kokiri culture. Link also 'infected' the Kokiri with types of love the Kokiri were never meant to experience or understand, which infected both Mido and Saria. Perhaps, with Saria's removal, it was hoping to keep the infection from spreading any further.

Saria also sees just how the Kokiri are spawned and learns that the Deku Tree did indeed create them, and biologically speaking, they sharing nothing with Hylians except appearance, perhaps the Deku Tree took pity on a human child that was came near him, before he became a skullkid, and made the lad a part of him instead, and became a template for the later Kokiri who the Deku Tree would spawn.

Saria hugged herself, "So... that's why we have the same language as the rest of Hyrule and how we know things we were never taught. It was all written into us when we were born..."

Saria also learns that since they were based off of Hylians, their base biological nature remains as a blue print within them, the magic that shaped them is still active as it keeps them immortal, but Saria no longer within the woods and no longer with her fairy, has been cut off, and is now reaching the TRUE point of no return. She can chose to return to the forest and be restored to her original self, or continues to stay outside the forest and complete her transformation.

She remains unaware of Agahnim's havoc reeking.

Saria then comes face to face with two entities with the first vision leaving her. The first is her as a Korok, telling her of how if she remains of the Kokiri, she'd eventually have to forget about Link and her previous existence when it came time to slowly repair Hyrule from the great flood that would come.

The second image, is Saria as an old woman, and then as a skeleton.

Saria beholds old age.

Saria finally understand what the warning of the Deku Tree REALLY meant about them dying of they left the forest. Truly, for a tree, dying of old age WOULD be the blink of an eye. (I will never cease my disgust of one writer who had the idea of a Hylian King saying "I was just a spry lad of 500 then." The population explosion would be MIND NUMBING if human type creatures lived that long!)

Saria screams in her mindscape what the POINT of it all is! If she has to effectively cease to exist either way!

The Korok Saria seems happy, but is lonely even if she can't remember what she feels lonely about.

The elderly Hylian Saria says that she is happy, and doesn't fear death.

Death itself perhaps even as a shade appears behind Saria saying it is waiting for her choice.

Saria considers her two possible future, and realizing there is no middle road, tells Death, "You know, you're not nearly as scary when there's someone there besides you."

Death seems actually rather pleased with this answer.

In Kokiri Forest, Mido is called by the Deku Sprout, (maybe I should have changed that to Sapling if it's been long enough), and we find out the reason there is a town is named after Mido in Zelda II. Mido, for his OWN feelings of wanting Saria to be happy, takes up her mantle as Sage.

The barrier is strengthened and restored, and Ganondorf pulls Agahnim back into the nothingness between realities since pulling out the sword would do nothing to weaken the barrier now, and choses to wait to deploy Agahnim at a later time.

Saria comes out of her fever dream. Zelda seems unsurprised and not all that confused when Saria comes to. Nor does she react when Saria cuts herself and smiles when Saria seems to smile before hand at seeing red blood.

Link asks Saria of course what possessed her to do such a thing.

"Because I wanted to see the world. Like you! I didn't want to spend the rest of my existance living in Kokkiri forest, not anymore, not after you told me that the world outside wasn't horrible like most forest children say."

Saria also finally understand her feelings for Link AT LAST, and knows the word she can use to describe them. Link is thrown off kilter, he knew this, but to hear Saria to flat out say it at last, is enough to thrown him off kilter. Then again, Link might have been oblivious about love and it's meaning since he was raised among the Kokiri as well.

Either way, Link looks at Zelda for help, but sees she APPROVES of this. Saria also explains her new species status to him, and we as she's now destine to die like any Kokiri that leaves the forest, in eighty or seventy years.

Link promises to wait for Saria to grow up to be with him.

Malon of course feels cracks form in her heart at seeing Link and Saria fit so well together, but is saved from total heart break from Navi. Navi makes the mistake of saying how 'there are plenty of fish in the sea' "I don't want fish! I want the person who I'm meant for or whose meant for me!" At this point, Navi admits to her own feelings for Link and explains them to Malon, that it's best to do what makes the person you care about the most happy, otherwise you're putting your own happiness above theirs, and then can you say you care about their happiness? Malon manages to understand what Navi is saying and decides she does indeed want Link AND Saria to be happy. Navi next tells her the RIGHT WAY that there is someone out there just for her and just because she hasn't met him yet doesn't mean he's not out there. Navi also offers her companionship to Malon. While Malon does ultimately accept she first asks why. "I was with Link when he needed me. I was with Saria when she needed me. Now I'll be with you while you need me, that is the duty and purpose of a fairy."

Link strangely finds his melancholy fades with Saria's presence. And Saria asks Link if it was worth for him to "leave it all behind" Link tells her that perhaps it's all worth it, as long as you have someone to share the adventures you have WITH. The two kiss.

~ Fin

This here next is the originally summary I wrote for this story before my computer was stolen: I only recovered a back up file of it after I had begun to work on the NEW summaries.

-

Malon gives Saria several lessons on basic knowledge of civilization along with the freaky lesson of learning to ride a horse!

Along with some odd flue now and again.

Eventually, Malon takes Saria to Link, were Malon finally learns of Saria's interests. Malon fumes, but is mature enough not to turn on the lass.

Link is stunned and confused by Saria's appearance. Zelda is intrigued.

Saria dreams again, this time they are crystal clear. She has two fates.

One, she can be with Link, grow old, ugly, die, and turn to bones and dust.

Or she can return to the forest, where the flood will happen, she will become one of the new race, lose all memory of Link and her old existence, but she will continue.

A third choice appears in the form of Majora's mask's phantom, who tempts Saria to have immortality and her current form if she'd but put it on.

Saria makes the foolish choice of death and love over immortality.

Zelda meanwhile in turn meets with Malon and Link. Malon for her dream with Link, for it is a dream. And no, it's NOT because she isn't royalty or a chosen one. Those reasons don't matter to Link. But Saria was there before either of them.

Zelda tells Link that while their fates are forever tied together, that doesn't mean their hearts are.

Saria completes her transmutation into a Hylian (the real reason for her odd sicknesses). And is will to face her destiny along with Link.

-

Cast Of Characters:

Link

Zelda

Navi

Saria

Malon

Talon

Ingo

Darunia

Ruto

Impa

Nabooru

Mido

Rauru

Goro-Link II

Great Duku Sprout

Farso (with the coming out of Wink Waker, I'd retcon the character's name as Fado to better link between that character and the last Kokiri sage).

Loca (OC, Saria's fairy)

Mandrag Ganon / Ganondorf Dragmire

Agahnim/Phantom Ganon

King Zora

Lord Jabu Jabu

The Kokiri/ The Korok

**Glossary:**

**Fire Temple** - Built by the Gorons in the crater of the Death Mountain volcano. It was a death trap of lava pits, rolling stones, and fire walls. It was made to hold the life-less bones of the Dragon Volvagia who almost destroyed the Gorons countless years ago, in case anyone ever attempted her resurrection. The Gorons also put the Megaton Hammer in the Fire Temple, which was the only weapon capable of breaking though the dragon's hard scales. The temple is so old some of it's switches no longer even function without a blow from the hammer.

**Forest Temple -** No one knows who built the Forest Temple, the Kokiri are as mystified by it as anyone else. The only thing known about it is that over time ghosts, probably from the Shadow Temple, and monsters took residents here and made it their resting place. The master ghosts were the Four Poe Sisters Meg the leader, Jolly, Amy and Beth who would never tolerate anyone entering the temple. Who the sisters were in life has been forgotten. Another thing that is obvious is that the Forest Temple is in one of the greatest states of decay despite not being the oldest of the temples. In fact the design style suggests it is perhaps the youngest of the temples, whether it is the ghost's havoc reeking inside it's walls or the Lost Wood ability to seemingly assimilate anything into itself is still another mystery. The Forest Temple is filled with devices designed to twist one's perception of reality and test one's wisdom, but so far no one has reportedly suffered insanity from these devices. At the bottom basement of the Forest Temple is a great art gallery that is perhaps in the least amount of decay in the entire temple which was used by Phantom Ganon as his chamber during his stay.

**Gerudo -** A race of thieves living in the desert, west of Hyrule near the Haunted Waste Land. Hated or feared by most races of Hyrule but especially the Gorons. The Gerudo race is composed almost entirely of women with one long-living male born every generation. Which could be between a decade to a few centuries. For this reason that male is regarded as King to the Gerudo and worshiped as a god. Strangely, they consider males of others races to be wit-less fools with a few exceptions. Due to their shallow gene pool almost all Gerudo look alike with olive-like or reddish skin and scarlet hair, but there are exceptions. Ganondorf was the last male born to the race of thieves.

**Gohma -** Armored parasitic arachnid. Created by Ganondorf to strong arm the Deku Tree into giving the King of Thieves the Spiritual Stone of Forest need to enter the sacred realm. Gohma entered the great tree's root system and feeding off the tree's life force grew to enormous proportions and filled the pour tree with her children eating at the tree's insides. So fearsome was she that the Deku Scrubs who lived in the tree gave their alliance to her in fear of her offspring's hunger. When the Deku Tree realized his death was impending and unavoidable, he sent Navi the fairy to retrieve a boy of the Kokiri to defeat the spider. When Link entered the tree and faced down on the scrubs they immediately switched back sides and told him of the weakness they had learned about the spider queen. Link entered the tree's base and while holding off Gohma's spawn aimed for the one spot of her that his blade and sling shot could penetrate, her one eye. So she was defeated but she had severed her purpose and the tree died and entrusted the stone to Link. Centuries later Gohma's few remaining sterile off spring still serve Ganon with their deadly claws and hatred of Link and his legacy.

**Gorons -** Rock men who live in or on Death Mountain and eat rocks to survive. At a distance and when they are sleeping they appear as just giant boulders and possess enormous strength. They like to trade bombs and swords with anyone who passes by. Gorons despise the Gerudo for having once invaded their mountain home. In contrast to what one would think to be their nature, they love to dance and listen to music liking foreign music the best.

**Hylian -** The Hyrule term for "human" (maybe, despite their pointed ears that they say were given to them by the Three Makers of Hyrule so they would hear them when they come again). The peace makers of Hyrule, they were responsible for ending the half-century civil war of the Seven Races. (technically five since the Sheikah had vanished from the scene and the Kokiri did not leave or allow invaders to enter their forest during the war's passing.) The Hylians have latent telepathic skills that have been degrading since their emergence. The true skill of the Hylians is their ability to make magic items of every sort. Among these are the royal instruments which posses magic power to perform tasks of amazement from raising and setting the sun to forcing it to rain. The greatest of all Hylian magic items is the Master Sword or the Blade of Evil's Bane that can reflect any magic and cannot be touched by evil. The Hylian rule Hyrule Field and have good relations with all races who respect and honor their request, except the devious Gerudo who the Hylian's regretted even allowing inside Hyrule Castle and the Kokiri who have little contact with anyone. (*) redo(*)

**Lon Lon ranch-** Owned by Talon and run by his daughter Malon and their work hand Ingo, Lon Lon ranch breeds the best horses in Hyrule and sells their famous Lon Lon mike all over the land. Talon doesn't like Ingo's stuck-up attitude and Ingo is repealed by Talon's laziness. Malon loves watching what she sees as a silly interplay between the two and singing to herself at night.

**Kokiri -** Though they may appear as Hylian kids, some of them looking twelve at most, the Forest children are in fact age-less and range anywhere from decades to centuries old. Strangely they appear no wiser for all their extended life and seem to have a problem with comprehending aging due to this state. Each Kokiri at one early point in their lives receives a fairy, who is always of the opposite sex and acts as their counter-part. The fairies come from the Great Deku Tree who is the Kokiri's guardian and teacher. It is believed that the Tree decides when a new Kokiri comes into existence to replace any that have on rare occasions been killed, since the Kokiri never physically reach puberty. When a Kokiri receives a fairy they feels like they have been given life anew, those who lose their fairy feel half-dead. The Kokiri believe non-Kokiri that enter the woods become monsters and that a Kokiri will die if they leave the forest, which is their home.

**Morpha -** Giant aquatic amoeba. Yet another creation of Ganondorf. Morpha, is only a two and a half foot wide nucleus. Her true power is the ability to animate all water she has direct contact with, into deadly tentacles that are very dangerous in combat. Put in command of the water temple, Morpha's main weakness is she has no real attack out side of water so she makes it her point to always stay deep within her plasmamenbrain. If someone is brave enough to try and attack her in the water directly she can personally enter that attacker's breathing passages and strangle them even if they then try to leave the water. When Ganondorf during his rein of the Imprisoning War, froze Zora's domain it was Morpha who he connected much of the curse's power to.

**Sacred Realm -** Also referred to as the Golden Land, this is the holding place of the Triforce. The Golden Land is just like Hyrule only more real somehow, it is like Hyrule was just a shadow of the grace of this domain that exists just out of phase with ours, with unsurpassed beauty. The Sacred Realm has a strange effect on visitors from the outside, transforming anyone without protection into a creature to reflect there innermost nature. This transformation is easily reversible just by leaving the Golden Land, unless exposed to the realm's power for over a decade in which case the change becomes almost uninvertible. During Link I's life-time the only way to enter the Golden Realm was though the Temple of Time. The Golden Land will change how ever if someone should touch the Triforce with an evil heart. At which point the Golden Land will become a nightmare version of Hyrule called the Dark World.

**Shadow Temple -** Built long ago by the Sheikah over looking their graveyard, this place is a record of all the bloody wars of hate and greed that engulfed Hyrule until about a decade ago. It has several traps based on illusion to keep out intruders. It also acts as a prison to hold captive evil ghosts, but to especially hold the worst ghost, Bongo-Bongo. He was placed at the bottom of the town well which acted as a mini Shadow Temple. A house was once built on top of the mini Temple, which was owned by a man who possessed a lens that could see though the illusions of the temple. Many ghosts escaped their imprisonment over time and fled to the secluded Forest Temple in the Lost Woods.

**Sheikah -** Also known as the shadow folk, this mysterious people have acted as body guards for the Hylian royal family since Hyrule's creation. Originally they settled at Death Mountain's base. The only detail that seems to bind this race is their scarlet eyes but since few Sheikah have been recorded there is no way to know for sure. Their symbol is a Ra like eye with a tear coming down the center and three triangles across the top. But Impa, Zelda's bodyguard, is perhaps the only member of the Sheikah left since most believe the Sheikah to have died out decades ago. They are believed to have made the stones which are scattered across Hyrule bearing their symbol which contains little bits of random information. This information is revealed if one wears the Mask of Truth, also made by the Sheikah.

**Spirit Temple-** Made by the Gerudo beyond the Haunted wasteland, as a place of worship and as a raising place for the one male, who was always cared for by the current High Priestess. The Temple is combed with traps to stop anyone who is not invited. The two of the most guarded possessions of the Gerudo's is kept within the temple. One is the Silver gauntlets that give one who wears them super human strength, and the mirror shield that can reflect light and some kinds of magic. In the center of the temple is a four armed statue whose face hides the High Priestess's main chamber. Sand covers the temple as much as anything in the desert. The temple has several rooms that can be opened only by the song of the Hyrule royal family. Many questions are written on the walls of the temple that puzzle the soul. Also hidden within the temple is a vast library of magic techniques and lore which can be read only by the Gerudo king or the priestess without the punishment of death.

**Temple Lords -** Given a generalization only for convince, these are the warriors and monsters who aided Ganondorf during his rein in the Imprisoning War, who each had taken over one of the Great Temples. Some truly were the rightful lords of their temples such as the Twinrova sisters of the Spirit Temple. but most were just tin demi-lords who had taken over the Great Temples of Hyrule over a long period of years or monsters placed in the temples by Ganondorf to be his commander in that area or just traps for those who would wander in.

**Temple of Time-** Perhaps the first of the Temples. It was made by a possible Hylian named Rauru the Sage of Light, around the gateway to the Scared or Golden Realm where the Triforce lay. Rauru placed the Master Sword into the chamber of time beyond the door of time which could only be unlocked by the song of time and the three Spiritual stones. For as long as the Master Sword was in it's base the gateway was closed and the unworthy could not enter. Each of the three stones was given to a race of Hyrule and the ocarina capable of playing the song of time was kept with dear secrecy by the Hyrule royal family.

**Triforce-** In a land beyond sight where the sky sighs gold not blue the Triforce lies to make mortal wishes come true. The Triforce of Power upper third red. The Triforce of Wisdom lower left green and the Triforce of Courage lower right blue. (gold when all three are connected) The three in three golden triangle with the aspects of wisdom, courage and power and the essence of the makers of Hyrule could make the wishes of one whose heart was in balance come true. If his heart is not in balance the Triforce will split leaving only the aspect he most believes in. The other will join with the souls of those they deem are most aligned with them. Just as the remainder with bind with the soul of the one who touch the Triforce, they may rejoin if all three are brought together again face to face, but an unbalanced heart is an unbalanced heart. Also when disconnected and diminished their power sometimes calls for a price. Wisdom takes innocents, courage inner peace, and power could take your humanity if your greed consumes you. (as it did with Ganon)

**Twinrova -** Kotake and Kohum, twin sisters of doom. These two witches were Ganondorf's mother and nursemaid, which was which has been forgotten. The two where experts of brain washing and high Priestess of the Gerudo. One sister controlled fire and the other ice. When necessary the hags could join into one being called Twinrova who had twice the power of either of the sister and was much more attractive. The two claim to be exactly four hundred years old. Like their son the two sisters had no defense against each others attacks. A weakness Link exploited and successfully defeated the sisters.

**Water Temple-** Built into the mass of an island in Lake Hylia the only current theory is that it is some sort or water recycling center. The river starts in Zora's fountain and ends in Lake Hylia, and when Zora's domain was frozen during Ganon rein of the Imprisoning War. It was their that Link had to break the curse. Also a massive river is right under the temple that is dotted with whirlpools that could lead to Zora's fountain. The temple is also equipped with mechanisms to rise and lower the water levels with the royal family's song. Temple vermin such as Kees(bats) and Water Teakees(spiders) have found there way into this place, the Zora may have built this temple to perform the said tasks but so far they have not said whether or not this is true.

**Zora -** A people of sleek humanoid fish. Zora is both the name of their land, people, and King. Zola is sometimes used to refer to the female part of the species. They live at the source of the Hyrule River which at its beginning is called Zora's river. The giant phisonic fish demi-lord, Jabu-Jabu, is both oracle, advisor, and perhaps even more to the Zora people. He resides in the great fountain from which the river begins. The Zora can live outside of water for some time but not indefinitely. The Zora sell fishes and water breathing tunics to outsiders at high prices to maintain their trade.

Deleted scene: This scene was deleted because it completely messed up on exactly when in the timeline the story was supposed to take place. And it threw in Marine for no real addition to the plot.

Board, board, board, board! That was what Malon was thinking as her legs dangled from the stage. All the grown up were engaged in the most boring conversations she had ever head. Worse yet, there weren't any kids her age around to play with, sure there was one maybe two Gorons her there, but speak to or playing with six foot rocks was not her idea of fun. (*) redo (*)   Smack, bong, clang.   A large cart came barging in the festival grounds just behind the stage. The carriage was covered with pots and pans and a dozen devices Malon couldn't recognize. Then she notice that the carriage didn't have a horse or even a harness for one, stranger still what she could only describe as a chimney was steaming atop the shack size cart.   The door on the cart swung open and out poured a man and woman. The "woman" couldn't of been more than twenty-one with a thin line of sweat on her forehead. Her light shappire dress (which the moisture was making stick to her like a second skin) gave away the hints of being home made. Her hair fell down almost to her waist which was also almost the exact shade of scarlet as Malon's.(stick steam dress)   The man must of been at least thirty-nine. His bald spot forming a crown of dark brown hair on his head. His beard and moustache was short and well kept, and it couldn't hid the vast smile across his face. His jacket and shorts had a ripe her and there but, obviously were going to last a lot longer, just like their owner.   "Thank you," the girl said to the man, "But we didn't have to go in that-that, machine of your to get here. I'm starting to think I would rather of walked."   "Where would the fun in that be my dear? Besides I agreed to do the back-up music for you songs and what kind of beneficiary would I be if I just let you walk all the way here? Heh he, tell me that. Besides, what wrong with my baby." The music man gave the cart a large pat as a new batch of steam flowed though the door.   "That for one." Marin said pointing to the steam pouring out of the door in a matter of fact tone.   "Don't worry so much my girl I'll add an extra vent and reposition the seating places next time."   By the expression on her face Malon could tell the girl was not trilled at the idea of 'next time.'

Deleted Scene: This scene was meant to add in Zelda having a vision of wolf versions of the eight baddies I had thought up that I can't even remember the names and true forms of now that were going to be the eight minions of Ganondorf in this story. However, I've realized they were basically enemies for enemies' sake, and didn't really add to the story at all. I find that idea I had them appear in Zelda's vision as wolves now rather kinda funny now with Twilight Princess having been added.

The party had begun to drag on, the food had been served and eaten, as much as Link could keep down at least, Ruto had nudged eight inches closer to him in the last two minutes.   Link got up from the table and decided to follow Zelda who was making a long trek next to the riverside occasionally looking into the reflective waters of Zora's river. Zelda saw the masked face of Sheik in the liquid mirror. She looked into the eyes, her own eyes as her mind turned in on itself, thinking about the river: always moving yet never changing it's position. What lay ahead for her and Link? Childish attraction will turn to deep-compassion and young determination into noble ambition. That had been what she had told Link during her time as Sheik. Zelda looked at hand the Triforce symbol glimmered on her hand and vanished, again. Wisdom ; could it has the answers she seeked? She rested her forehead on her knuckles. (*) Redo (*) consider time as SHiek more   Zelda felt her mind float away in the river, she felt it sweep her with its' currents. She saw events and people, pass by on the shoreline, then she saw the effects of those events of the decedents of those people, then the after effects and next generation and the previous and on and on, all heading toward one fateful point destined to be before Link and Zelda had met. Races would vanish, names forgotten, but her legacy would not be forgotten. Evil would wear new faces and good would be reborn again and again to knock evil down. What lay ahead was grand.   Then Zelda saw eight ravenous wolves racing up the shoreline, one seemed totally gaunt, while another seemed only a shadow. One had a steel gray coat and razor sharp teeth. The forth had six legs ending in long claws. The fifth had grossly long legs and shaggy hair with foul liquid flowing from it.   The crimson one was encased in black armor, but it did not hinder it's moment. The Beta wolf, had a white coat in contrast to it's blood shot orbs and an eye shaped mark on it's forehead.   The eighth was obviously the pack leader, it was over twice the size of the others, it's fur so black and non-reflective its' silhouette seemed a hole in the world. The wolf pack ran along the riverbank then slowed to a stop back where Zelda had begun. Each one seemed to be attacking someone she knew, back when her river journey began, but who she could not tell. The gaunt one seemed confused about it's target and the shadow was frustrated about his soppositly easy kill.   The Beta wolf noticed Zelda and looked at her straight face to face and leapt into the river and swam toward her and stopped at a distance so close she could make out every detail of it vicious face. It had a look that could of been interpreted as indecision on whether or not to carry out it's mission. Zelda tried to get away, but she couldn't, she could not control her movements in the river.   The shadow and gaunt wolves noticing their comrades's hesitation decided to carry out the kill themselves. The beasts entered the water and moved to attack jaws snapping, howling to the point of pricing Zelda's soul as one sank it's jaws into her shoulder. She pulled out her hidden Sheikah blade and stabbed at the wolf. (*) refigure out (*)   Link barely avoided the weapon as Zelda took another swing at him.   "Get away!" Zelda screamed.   "Zelda! Zelda! It's me Link!"   Link wondered at, what had just happened. He had come over to Zelda, who had been looking into the water as still as a sleeping nightingale. He had placed his hand on her shoulder she had turned around and tried to stab him in the chest.   Zelda now only stood there with her shaking hands still clutching the dagger.   Link cautiously plucked the plucked the knife out of Zelda's hands. Ruto only stood there in amazement.   Zelda realized she was no longer in the river and the wolves had vanished, leaving only Ruto and Link.   "Link? What did I almost do? Incredible, that vision was so real." Zelda resumed her Sheik persona as Link grabbed her shoulders,   "I had a vision, Link what it meant I don't know yet, but whatever it was, it was of grave importance, from what I remember;"   "sworn brother! Though a Goron's hearing is not as good as, well that's not important, but I heard the princess cries for help and came immediately." Darunia was holding his war hammer, the man shaped stone was not breathing hard, but, the imprints in the ground behind him showed he had run like the winds to them. (*) rape? (*)   "Ok, Darunia, if you came running like a boulder,where's everyone else?" Link asked.   "Believe it or not brother I was practicing my dance steps at the river's mouth."   "You dance?" Ruto looked in awe.   "Why does everyone looked surprised when I tell them that."   Link had been surprised when he had first heard of it and Zelda had seemed to be expecting it when she had been told that.   Guess we were lucky that Zelda fell in her trance after walking around a hundred paces beyond the festival grounds.   "But, what did just happen? You still haven't told me!"  Link tried to explain, "Zelda, was like a zombie next to the water and;"   "I had a vision. Not my first and not my last, I was overwhelmed by it for a moment and Link came to me, it's nothing serious."   "Are, you sure your alight Princess Zelda?"   "Yes Lord Darunia, I am."   "Very well then excuse me I still need a little practice." Darunia stomped off determined to perfect his dancing style.  Sheik looked at Ruto.   "Princess, don't talk about this anyone you don't have to, at least for now."  The entire day seemed to all add together for Ruto at that moment. Being reminded of Morpha, being over ruled in her father's own domain and now ordered, ordered to keep silent about the Princess of Hyrule's own problems.   "You dare tell me, what to and not do!" The chirps of crickets, the call of an owl could be heard though stone silence. Link didn't dare let get Ruto started or she would rave about her right as princess of the Zora till morning.   "Please Ruto, I know Zelda's revelation and they've never been wrong before. But they have always been in your sleep before."   "I've never had the Triforce of wisdom before."   "The what!?"   "Long story Ruto, one that doesn't matter any more, it would just make you head swim. We shouldn't go around telling everyone Zelda just hallucinated and tried to kill me, but I do think we should tell your father(*) never listens(*), Zelda."   "I agree, and I will, but not until tomorrow when we get back to Hyrule Castle, when I can discuss my vision with Impa."   Link made a quick nod and looked at Ruto.   "Well, Ruto, can you keep a secret?"   "Well ok, if that's important to you, just don't think I'm going soft! Now let's get back to the festival, I'm not getting any younger."   (*) change to insult (*) Not yet. Link was barely able to keep himself from saying. He felt sorry for her. She was so self-centered and couldn't take almost anything serious when he was around, he could only hope that this time her crush burned itself out on it's own.  I don't love you Ruto, I can't love you. Besides I don't think we'd be genetically compatible, a Zora and a Hylian is as unlikely as; a Hylian boy and a green haired Kokiri.   Shut up, oh great I'm having an argument, with my own mind. I've accepted that Saria is beyond me and she excepted it a long time before I did.   "Might as well get back, I want to hear this Marin for myself." Link started back though the river mouth.   "Link could I have my short sword back?" Link slowly put the knife back in Zelda's hands with a look of apprehension on his face. Zelda felt repelled, but she understood Link's concern. Her visions, -even the one foretelling of her first meting with Link-, had never been so sudden or powerful, but inspit of herself her mind kept coming back to the Beta wolf. had she seen the mark on it's forehead before? Then like a blow from a sword she remembered: It was the mark of the Sheikah, the shadow people, the body guards of the Hyrule royal family.

Deleted Scene: This was intended to be actually be the original opening for chapter two. But my brother pointed out that the story is called SARIA'S Desires. Also, thinking about it now, I could have really done the transportation of Link and Zelda better than I did here.

"So, Zelda, do you want to travel by foot or note?" Asked Link, expect her to say note of course, and play the gateway song that allow instant travel to the Temple of Time and therefore Market Town a rock's throw from Hyrule Castle for a change of cloths and the horses Epona and Starlight. They had decided against using it among the forest children, in spit of what some might think, someone blinking out existence freaked you out no matter what you grew up with.

"Foot." She said surprisingly as she took the lead. Link blinked.

"But . . . but . . ."

"Since when have you been concerned about a decent hike, you spent weeks during the war doing nothing but hiking."

"I know but I thought you'd want to get back Hyrule Castle as soon as you could."

"Link, you know that it's all but impossible for me to get a day out of that place. Besides, we're not going to Hyrule castle."

"Huh?"

"Oh yea, I keep forgetting you never stay awake during those social orgization meetings father and concile have. Father's decided to put a celebration together over Gannon's defeat. And the Zora have been chosen to host it."

"That's still have a day's travel from here."

"It doesn't start till evening, we'll make it with time to prepare. Besides, all things aside, I need the exercize."

"So it's true, no one at the castle ever tells you anything do they?"

"Being your unoffical bodygaurd doesn't give me as high a standing as one might think."

"Still, I guess everyone thought everyone knew."

"Tell me what?" Link asked clueless.

"A festival has been arange for the peace of Hyrule and Ganon's impresionment, and the Zora have agreed to host it. And since we don't have any travel songs that will take us there on a note, we might as well walk. My family's personal tent will already be set up by the time we get there."

Link looked at her carfully, he often forgot this was not the little princess who had laughed with game like joy that he had excepted her request to help her open The Gates before Ganondorf. It turned out that they had ended up pathing Ganon's way to the Triforce.

With Order of Sheikah pride and a total lack of royal arogance, Zelda marched in front of the yound man.

Zelda had atoped the name Sheik during Ganon's seven year rein, and had joined the almost extint Order of Sheikah, and had even taken on the guise of being a male. One of the rights of passage in her training as a Sheikah had changed her eyes from blue to scarlet, Link had asked her once or twice about it, but she had avoid the question uttery each time, she oblivious didn't want to descus it, Link had tried to get the information out of Impa, Zelda's nurse maid and offical body gaurd, but the aging woman would reveal nothing saying only Zelda should be able to tell him. After running into a few more walls, Link had abandoned the subject completly, seeing that he was going to have to wait for a answer to this question.

Truth be told, Link didn't mind walking. His long treks across Hyrule had given his legs little reason to complain about a small few miles march that would take the majority of the day, all the way from the edge of Kokkiri Forest to Zora's Domain.

He glaced back at the forest. Dragmire or Mandrag or whatever he called himself was gone. But had they really won anything?

Deleted Fragment: This is more of a fragment sentence really. This was a tiny part of a scene again left over from the addventure, another writer that thrown in as a plot device the idea of 'aqua fire balls' (which didn't make sense to me either) that allowed Morpha to enter the past and later posses Ruto (she later did a 'turn to light' style sage teleport which left Morpha high and dry). The idea was the Zora mage would give Ruto a little bit more time as a grown up as his apology for letting that happen to her.

Link only nodded seeming to be some where else. Where had he seen that Zora before . . .; of course!"

Deleted Scene: this one was the idea of Link and Zelda visiting Zora's Domain before the festival celebrating Ganondorf's defeat (most logically the anniversary of). But thinking about it now, it was irrational for Zora's domain to be the place when Lon Lon ranch had served well enough in the past and clearly worked neutral middle ground for all races. And this was also when I was suffering from Dragon Prince Syndrome (don't ask) where I thought of Ruto in the most horribly light possible and exaggerated her famous character flaws fantastically. Along with a fragment after this one that I can't remember what I was supposed to do with it, besides the idea Link wanted to be someplace else, but realized he had no 'someplace else' to go to.

After passing though the Sleepless Water falls that lead to Zora's domain, both Link and Zelda were welcome by open arms. They saw Ruto was there waiting for the duo at the domain entrance.

"I've been waiting for you," Ruto gave a flirting look at Link.

"Nice to know." Link said trying to keep distance between himself and Ruto.

"Pleasure to see you again Princess Zelda."

_I'll bet._"Same to you Princess Ruto, as always an honor." Zelda stated to the Zora putting herself between Ruto and Link at the risk of being rude more for Link's sake than the Hylian princess'. Ruto's constant advancments on Link as child had no deminiused with the years. Much to Link's grimence. Zelda couldn't blame him, the boy had enough atartive woman in his without her or Ruto adding to them.

Ruto's relationship with Link was a strange one, but for the pretender forest child normal was relative word. When Zelda had sent Link on his ill concived quest to open the Gateway to the Golden World, Link had gone to the Zora's to collection one of the Spirital Stones needed to open that gateway, but it's holder Princess Ruto, had gone missing. Truth be told the only one sorry that she was missing was her father, her mother dead and her less than charming personality didn't go well with the other Zora.

As it later turned out, the gaint first creature worshipped by the Zora, Lord Japaju had shallowed Ruto whole. Link had figured it out quite by accident and also discovered her fate by pure chance.

Link, while still search for the third spirit stone to open the gateway, had come across nothing short than a meassage in a bottle. Ruto had had the bottle with her for fish to feed to her demi-lord, as was costum for her herself to do on a regular basis, but being sallowed up with her offering wasn't something the Zora had expsected on. Lord Jabaju's insides were quite cavernous, and the Zora princess had actully traveled inside them on a few occasions acting as a make shift nurse for the gaint beast.

The meassage was Ruto's and seficly asked who ever found it to help her, and not to tell her father. Link when he entered Zora's domain did exactly that.

Link however, after learning the Royail family song, (which Zelda had make Link swear to tell no one who he had learned it from) combined with being made a Sword Brother of Lord Daruina, Link had gained asseses to Lord Japaju on his own, Link could guess what he had to do next, salunking in the gaint creature didn't appeal to Link, but he had no choice. It was also Link's luck the gaint fish demi lord had had a taste for fish that had emptied Link's wallet.

The great fish had turned out to be infested with parasites, Link had made the mistake of trying to kill one off with his sword, and had gotten an eletric shock for his troubles.

The huge caverous insides of Japaju also turned out to have gargantuian air pockets, allowing Link enough breathing room to find his 'dansell in destress'. However, Ruto was a far cry from the other princess Link had met a week or so ago. She was rude, tom boyish, arrogant, cowardly, and those where her good quaities.

and go . . .where?

Ruto had had a crush on Link ever since he had rescued her from a temporarily insane Jabu-Jabu's belly, then from the brain parasite infecting the giant fish demi-lord. She had also tricked Link into being engaged to her. Thankfully most of that had been during the Imprisoning War, but still her feelings had found their way back into the real world. Ruto had learned to control herself, but still.

THIS next Deleted Scene is perhaps the most complex one: it was intended to also be a spiritual introduction to Navi given how the conversation went. And again it made the error of still following the add-venture motif of Link and Zelda currently having adult forms and it being set in the past section of Ocarina of Time. It also had Saria somehow knowing where Link and Zelda were headed (though that wouldn't be impossible to know) and her using the teleportation pool in the Lost Woods. My brother pointed out to this most likely being just a game mechanic, since the Kokiri showed all signs of being 'fish in a pond' as it were and such teleportation nods didn't make sense in such context. Thus how the story was altered to Saria taking the exit out that Link did originally in the game. IT IS ALSO BY FAR THE LARGEST of the deleted scenes. And as you can see was also intended to be the ending of part 2 and the beginning of part 3.

(*exspand* platform) The festival was to be held during the evening at the river side in Zora's domain. The river rushed by as materials were set up. There was little to do now, but wait. The Zora were the only one's at the celebration, aside from Link and Zelda, a small number of Hylians and Gorons were gathering as well. Link recognized one of the Goron immediately.

"Darunia." Link called to the rock-man king.

"Hello brother, I see you are here as well."

"I thought all of your people were repairing Goron City."

"I declared a day-off. Who would want to miss this. I never miss a party."

That explains a lot, Link thought then he noticed another friend. There was Talon with his little daughter Malon,

"Hey look daddy it's fairy-boy; hi fairy-boy you sure look bigger than you did when I last saw you."

"Nice to see you too Malon." Link had never really minded that nick name, but now it only reminded him of Navi. Why did you leave me Navi, you were with me so long now I feel almost incomplete without you. Was it because I was never really a Kokiri? The two had not even said good-bye, Link had just woken up one moring to see a glowing pair of wings wink out in the distance.

"Hey fairy boy, where's your fairy?"

"She left me."

"Well that wasn't very nice or is, it just a temporary trip, like with . . .moma."

Malon's face had a hint of sorrow in it for a moment, just a moment then she was again her always cheerful self. Link answered.

"To tell the truth, I honesty don't know. What are you doing here anyway? Oh don't tell me your here for the peace festival."

Malon had a coy look on her face.

"Well yes and no . . . yes that's pretty much what I'm here for, but . . .;"

"C'mon Ingo put your back into it."

Link couldn't help but recognize Talon Lon Lon's work hand Ingo with his mustache bigger than his nose. Ingo was pulling some crates off a cart being driven by a horse with an attitude that meant she could be only Epona's mother.

Ingo heaved the crates off the cart, next to a platform that had been set up for the occasion.

Link could tell Epona's mother was not happy from crossing the river into Zora's domain, and Link knew better not to get one of Epona's kin angry or frustrated.

Talon was his normal sleepy self. Ingo was mumbling to himself once again about how it was to be a workin' man.

"I don't think makin' Maryln go though that water was a good idea." Talon said, finally noting the horse's foul mood.

"I don't think I could of walked for a week if I had to drag this milk all the way from the other side of the river, not that you would understand your no workin' man. You inherited Lon Lon ranch from your father and him from his old man. It's been me and my predecessors who have done all the work except for maybe your kid."

"Just finnish off loading the milk I need to take a nap."

"five times in the afternoon alone? If only you pulled your own weight at your ranch, though in your case that would be a great feat for anyone."

"Just do it . . . zzzz." Talon was already dreaming of marrying off Malon to a Hylian prince.

"Hard to be a workin' man." Ingo snorted as he got back to work. Malon was totally amused by all of this.

"Heh heh . . . if only daddy wasn't so lazy, and if Mr. Ingo was just a little bit nicer to people, they would be perfect pair."

"Any idea who the stage is for?" Link asked Malon.

"Don't know for sure, I know the music man who always takes care of the wind mill in Kakaraiko village is in charge of back music for some singer."

"Who is it?"

"all I know is her name is Marin. From what I heard she's supposed to be pretty good."

"I have a feeling you'll become a good singer yourself."

"Me? No, I just like to hum once in a while."

But, Link knew better in seven years yet past Malon would become a beautiful singer despite the fact she would still be working on her father's ranch.

"By the way Malon does everyone in Hyrule know about your milk except the Kokiri?"

"Don't know, but never meet one who hasn't."

Ingo was carrying the last of the milk off the cart when he tripped on his own feet. The crate broke on the ground revealing the unshattered bottles. Ingo cursed under his breath as one rolled away from the others and came to a stop on a very familiar boot. A woman picked up the container.

"You dropped this." She tossed the milk back at Ingo. Link saw it was Nabooru. The make-shift leader of the Gerudo was not in her normal wardrobe.

Nabooru was in knee high boots, wearing a red cloak with yellow trim covering her sandy-white Gerudo uniform, the only part of her uniform that Link recognized was her amber forehead pendant. Then Darunia noticed Nabooru.

"What is that doing here?"

"Queen Nabooru is my guest, just like you Lord Darunia, and is as welcome as you." Ruto said in a unusually official tone.

"So you invited Ganondorf's whore." Darunia said.

A look not unlike that of an injured wolf smeared across Nabooru's face and her guards assumed a warrior's pose.

"I suffered more at Ganondorf's hands than your entire race could put together!"

"Even now she's wearing the cloak of her master."

"These clothes are of the office of the leader of the Gerudo, not Ganondorf's!"

Zelda came arms out stretched between the heads of state.

"Enough, this gathering is supposed to calibrate the peace of Hyrule not break it, And Nabooru is right far more than you think Darunia, her race paid the ultimate price for Ganon's defeat."

Link knew what Zelda was talking about, the race of the Gerudo breed like termites, only one male was born every generation. Ganondorf had been that male.

Neither Nabooru nor Darunia seemed to have interest in what Zelda had said. But Link noticed Nabooru looking the color of day old fish.

"I don't feel well, we'll finish this another time, I am not used to such cold climates."

Nabooru staggered off to sit down on the seats that had been set up, followed by two of her body guards who had a concerned look.

Link crept up on Darunia and tapped him on his massive yellowish stone shoulders.

"Darunia, I don't know what went between the Gerudo and Gorons, but I trust Nabooru, she was brain washed during Ganondorf's command of the Gerudo, she had no control of her actions." (*what did happen?)

"Very well sworn brother, if you can trust her than, maybe I can as well but still what is with her?"

"I don't know."

I have my theories but, until I'm sure I'll keep them to myself. Zelda thought.

Strange, Link thought, Darunia and Nabooru almost reminds me of when Navi and Zelda-

Navi the fairy where in the Great Deku Tree's name are you?

Navi at that moment was flying high above the Lost Woods, she had grown accustom to the skull kid's mysterious music as they flipped in and out of the shadows, she was almost beginning to like it. She hadn't gone back to the Deku Sprout like she should of. She would of been just assigned to another Kokiri as a guardian fairy. She didn't want another Kokiri to look after she wanted a ten year old Hylian, but she was bound by powers beyond her to depart from him, he needed to find his own destiny without her.

Then Navi noticed a familiar figure moving though the mists and trees.

She flew down until she was right behind her.

"If I ever saw a Kokiri in need of a guardian fairy it's you Saria."

"Hello Navi . . ." Almost not caring.

Navi looked at Saria she seemed only half dressed.

"Hey, were's Loca?"

"He's back with the Deku Sprout." Saria said as if reading from a manual.

"Well why would you be without your . . . oh I see."

Saria came to a stop. She was at the lost pond. The body of water of though which by the magic of the Lost Woods could transport someone to Zora's domain in an instant.

"Your becoming more and more like Link every time we meet recently," said Navi.

_. . .if any Kokiri should step outside these woods, they will die . . ._

That was what the Deku Tree had said.

"That's what I'm hoping." Saria replied

"Are you really willing to take the risk?"

"Yes . . ."

"At least let me come with you, I seem to attract people with crazy intents, might as well go with the flow."

"Can you hold your breath?"

"Just watch me." Navi flew under the visor holding together Saria's green hair.

_. . . they will die . . ._

"Y,know you had the sprout's blessing before, you don't now."

_. . . you will die . . ._

Saria stepped to the water's edge.

"My only hope is that I have Link's."

"What do you mean by**;** hey!"

Saria dived into the pond, she saw a great white light at the end of the tunnel.

**Chapter three: Pre & Rebirth**

The party had finally gotten underway. The food was the best in Zora's domain, the rock-eating Goron's had brought their own cuisine. Ruto was sitting right next to Link while Darunia was across from him, and Nabooru as far away as possible with Zelda. Link could guess who had been in charge of seating arrangements.

As the main dish was served out, Link look in fear at the thing on his plate.

"It's called steamed giant jellyfish it's considered a delicacy among my people try it you'll love it." Ruto explained to Link who was poking the transparent goo with his fork.

"Oh don't worry silly, the stingers and poison sack were removed before it was cooked." Link wasn't that eased by Ruto's assurance. _ Don't knock it 'til you try it._ Link took a piece with his fork, chewed and shallowed. Then began to wonder what the best way was to ask Darunia for some of his sirloin granite with a side order of limestone.

Zelda, was stomaching the boiled jelly, and really didn't notice the taste, she was more concerned with Nabooru. She had gotten up from the table several times since the party had started and continued to wrap herself in her cloak as if cold.

Your guards don't seem to mind the cold "Sage of Spirit," what are you hiding from me?

Saria emerged from the pond coughing and soaking wet. The first thing she noticed was she wasn't dead. Navi flew from under her visor and beheld her.

"Well, that does it, I'm going to ask the Deku Tree if that Hylian woman left two newborns in the forest that day!"

"Because I'm still alive?"

"No, because only someone with Link's blood-line, would do something that crazy_ and_ stupid!"

Saria saw she was not in the Lost woods.

"When I saw that light, I was sure that I had been wrong." Saria told Navi.

"That was just part of the transport. So 'miss suicide,' what now?"

Music and lights could be heard not too far down river. The Zora pond stood next to the Great Falls as they formed into Zora's river, what stood before the falls was rock formations almost like part weaves of a straw pot. All of them were wide enough to walk on, and one came right to the front of the falls. On that raised stone path was a plaque. From what Saria could read, it went like this:

Sleepless Falls

There Falls Form Zora's River

Which Serves The King Of Hyrule. 

When The King Slumbers So Do Also These Falls.

Link, had told Saria something about his time outside the forest, only the "Royal Song" would open the falls to let someone enter the inner-sanctum of Zora's domain where the king's throne room was, and there in the royal chamber was what she sought. How did that song go? Saria pulled out her fairy oricania and began to play. Nothing.

"I don't remember how it goes, Navi."

"Link would be meat if Zelda learned he had even tried to teach you that song at all. It's meant only for royal family members of the Hylian people, Zelda was bending the rules just letting learn it from Impa!"

"Navi, you remember it don't you? Could you tell me the notes?"

"Only if you tell me what you want in Zora's home stead, when all the fun is in the opposite direction." Navi said making a flying gesture toward the lights and sounds.

"Another gamble. The first one paid off, I'm hoping the next one will too."

"That isn't much of an answer Saria."

"Please it will have to do for now, tell me the song, please Navi, as a guardian fairy and as my friend."

"As a guardian fairy, no. As your friend, just this once. Remember.

?

Saria played "Zelda's Lullaby" the song guarded with care by the royal family. The notes echoed though the stones into the night. The waters of the falls separated, revealing the entrance to Zora's domain. Saria made a small leap onto the platform square on her feet.

"Well in we go." Navi said as Saria entered.

A little further down river Zelda felt sleepy for a moment, just long enough to notice. When had she felt that way before, some time ago in her early childhood, but had played it? Not Link, and he was the only one close enough to have it effect her, then who?

Given time the answer would come, until then she could wait.

Saria could not wait, she and Navi made there way though the water half-fill sanctum following the signs to King Zora's throne room. Thankfully King Zora had gone to the celebration as well.

There was the portal in throne room's center. The portal appeared as if the world was a peace of canvas and part of it had been pulled inward.

Only one Zora was there, standing by the portal by King Zora's command to keep the time gate unused.

Saria's took a few Deku nuts out of her pocket. Deku nuts can knock anything unconscious the girl thought as she sneaked behind the guard. Saria threw them at the guard's back, releasing there sleeping spores, causing the Zora to fall asleep knee deep in the water.

Saria looked at the portal, the reason she had risked death by leaving the forest**;**

no. She looked in the water and in her mind's eye she saw the real reason she had left the forest, Link's reflection in place of her own, it was almost perfect with Navi, flying above her.

"Your not going to do what I think your going to do are you?" Navi inquired reading Saria's face and mind.

Saria just stood there facing the gate for what seemed a lifetime. Saria closed her eyes and remembered that fateful day Link left the forest.

"Why, me?" Navi asked fate. as she flew under Saria's visor. Saria stepped though the portal.

"I love you Link." (*) note: change to leaving forest part(*)

Deleted scene: This one was back when I was still using Zora's domain as the major part of the setting. And was going to provide another possible origin for the Kokiri that would explain Link's immunity to the curse (since he didn't HAVE the triforce of courage at the start of things) which sadly I can no longer recall.

____________________

"You talk?!" Said Link Astonished.

"Of course he can talk." Said Ruto.

"Why-why didn't you say anything when you shallowed Ruto?"

"I was destrub by the creature that infested itself in my nural plexus. Surly you knew that."

"Well I, just kinda found the idea of a talking fish a little strange."

"Anymore strange than a talking tree?"

"You mean that Deku Tree of yours talks?" Asked the ignorant Zora princess.

____________________

"But I was."

"I said concived. You were mearly deposited there."

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Flames, comments, good or bad reviews, suggestions, reactions, occasional constructive criticism all welcome. Spelling and grammer corrections also welcome as long as you tell what you think of the story itself too.

Aeon, "I accept this key. Six locks to the final task, still remain."


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